General Leonardo Espina, the Deputy Director of the Philippine National National Police (PNP) who served as officer in charge of the country’s police force has resigned according to a well-place source of the country’s leading daily, Inquirer.net on their report posted on March 16, 2015.
According to Inquirer’s source, the information of Gen. Espina resigning from office came from a source who asked not to be named for lack of authority. The source noted that General Espina tendered his resignation in March, 2015, however, Pres. Aquino has yet to accept the resignation.
The resignation of Gen. Espina was prior to his promotion as the deputy chief for administration, the second man in the PNP’s chain of command, the promotion was effective Tuesday, April 14, 2015.
The source, a high ranking police official also noted that Gen. Espina just wants the President to exercise his prerogative to appoint an acting PNP chief, which is considered as a noble act on the part of the PNP OIC. Although General Espina has yet to receive word from the President about his promotion, he remained as OIC of the PNP.
Inquirer.net also tried to get an official statement from Gen. Espina and PNP spokesperson Chief Superintendent Generoso Cerbo Jr. but they have not responded to the newspaper’s inquiry.
Gen. Leonardo Espina took over the leadership of the PNP in December 2014 when former PNP chief Director Alan Purisima was suspended over an allegedly anomalous courier service deal in 2011 to deliver firearms licenses.