By Gabriela Baron
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. picked Lt. Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. as the chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), while Lt. Gen. Bartolome Vicente O. Bacarro was appointed as the chief-of-staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
Azurin, a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy (‘Makatao Class of 1989), is currently the commander of the Northern Luzon Police Area composed of the regions of Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, and the Cordillera Administrative Region.
Azurin also held star-rank positions in Camp Crame as director of the Directorate for Comptrollership (DC) as well as the Directorate for Information and Communication Technology Management (DICTM).
He also served as director of the Maritime Group and later as the regional director of the Police Regional Office in Ilocos and as the provincial director of Benguet Province.
Azurin also served as the Chief Task Force Limbas of the Highway Patrol Group and was also deputy organizations officer of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force.
He was born on April 24, 1967 in Paniqui, Tarlac and was raised in La Trinidad, Benguet. Azurin is married to Mary Grace Lino and has three children: Martin, Ninna, and Aaron.
Meanwhile, Bacorro, commander of the AFP-Southern Luzon Command, will serve as the chief-of-staff of the AFP.
Bacorro held various positions in the 5th Infantry Battalion including platoon leader, company commander, administrative officer, intelligence officer, operations officer, civil-military operations office, and secretary to the general staff.
Bacorro graduated from the Philippine Military Academy (‘Maringal’ Class of 1988). He was born on Sept. 18, 1966 in San Fernando, La Union.
In 1991, Bacarro was awarded the Medal of Valor for his “conspicuous acts of courage, gallantry, and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty” during a 10-hour encounter with a 150 fully-armed New People’s Army rebels who attacked the town of Maconacon, Isabela on Feb. 26, 1991. –ag
