President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed PMGen. Rommel Francisco Marbil as the new chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP). 

Marbil was promoted to 4-star general in a change of command ceremony led by Marcos at Camp Crame.  

"Ang pangarap ko ay pangarap niyo rin: matatag na ekonomiya, maayos na lipunan at maayos na kapulisan. Yan po ang unang kataga na sinabi ng ating Presidente during the inauguration. Ang masasabi ko po sa inyong excellency, sir, matutupad po," Marbil said.

(My dream is the same as yours: a strong economy, an orderly society, decent police. Those are the first words uttered by the President at his inauguration. That is what I can promise you, sir, we will deliver on that.)

Marbil said he would tap artificial intelligence for PNP programs and recruit new officers "with technical expertise and specialized IT skills". 

""As the 30th chief of the PNP, it is my intention build on the strides made so far to ensure that there is both continuity and improvement that the PNP remains effective on its job while evolving to become a modern Filipino police force for a modern Filipino society," he said. 

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Prior to his appointment as the 30th police chief, Marbil headed the PNP Directorate for Comptrollership.

He had also led the PNP Highway Patrol Group before becoming director of the Eastern Visayas police.

Marbil is a member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Sambisig Class of 1991 and will retire in February 2025.

He replaced Gen. Benjamin Acorda, who ended his term on Sunday.

Acorda was supposed to step down from his post last December after turning 56, the compulsory age of retirement for PNP personnel.

However, Marcos Jr. extended his term until March 31.

Marcos told Marbil: "You have my full confidence and my full support as you begin to champion a police that is pro-God, pro-country, pro-people, and pro-environment."

"Let us work closely with you in addressing emerging threats such as cybercrime, terrorism, and transnational crimes. We shall continue to uphold the highest standards of professionalism and give the finest service to our beloved citizens," he added. 

Meanwhile, Acorda thanked Marcos "for trusting me to lead the 232,000-strong police force."

"Sir, if I fell short of your expectations, I will take full responsibility but I say I did my best. If I happen to exceed your expectations, I humbly attribute our achievements to the men and women of the PNP from the command group down to the policemen on the streets as well as to our NUP, especially to the families of those who selflessly sacrificed their lives just to fulfill your marching order, that is to make our presence felt on the streets, make the communities safer and to defend our democratic institutions, our cherished ideals," he said.