National Police chief Director General Ronald M. dela Rosa installed on Wednesday Chief Supt. John Bulalacao as the new spokesman for the Philippine National Police (PNP), relieving Chief Supt. Dionardo Carlos from the post.
The PNP chief “shipped” Carlos to the Aviation Security Group in the PNP’s continuing reshuffle of positions and designations as dela Rosa said places the “best men” in key positions in the anti-illegal drugs war.
Some reporters, who were covering Camp Crame, viewed Carlos as the exact opposite of dela Rosa, his principal, while serving his former post as spokesman.
While the PNP chief is very much accessible to the media and relishes giving interviews to Camp Crame-based reporters, Carlos imposed policies that appeared to have disconnected journalists other police officials and with the PNP as a whole by requiring clearances from his offices for any conduct of interviews.
It was under his term where reporters assigned to cover the PNP general headquarters in Camp Crame were discreetly subjected to background investigation, an act that prodded no less than dela Rosa to disown.
In appointing Bulalacao as the new spokesman, dela Rosa wanted to convey his messages to a wider audience in a more efficient manner and in the clearest form.
Bulalacao, member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1988, was the former chief of the directorial staff of the National Capital Region Police Office.
He was promoted to a star rank on January 14.
“Bulalacao has served a well-rounded career as a junior and field grade officer. He commanded the Cavite Police Provincial Office as provincial director from 2011 to 2012 and earlier served as chief of police of Tagaytay City, Dasmariñas and Carmona,” a statement from the PNP read.
Bulalacao had also served as staff officer in various capacities in the Civil Security Group, National Capital Region Police Office and Special Action Force.
“The PNP spokesman is the official mouthpiece and publicist of the PNP on public information matters involving internal security and general peace and order,” the PNP said.
“The PNP spokesman is a personal staff officer of the chief [of] PNP, and concurrent capacity as chief of the Public Information Office is the lead implementor of the PNP media-relations policy,” the statement added.