MANILA, Philippines –President Benigno Aquino has appointed Philippine National Police deputy director General Nicanor A. Bartolome as the new PNP chief replacing General Raul M. Bacalzo.

Bartolome, the 17th PNP chief, began to lead the 140,000-strong national police force after the turnover ceremony in Camp Crame, Quezon City Friday on Friday.

The newly-installed police chief who hails from Gerona, Tarlac is a member of the Philippine Military Academy ‘Mapitagan’ Class of 1980.

In an interview, Bartolome vowed to implement reforms in the organization that will enhance the level of service of the men and women in uniform to the public, and consequently bring back the trust of the Filipinos to the police force.

Bartolome also cleared off rumors that he was favored to take the top PNP post being a native of Tarlac province. Instead, he cited that competency, service, training, and experience from previous assignments are the true bases of selection.

Bartolome served most of his junior officer years in Central Mindanao as a field operator. He was awarded as Philippine Constabulary’s (PC) Junior Officer of the Year in Central Mindanao and (PC) Junior Officer of the Year (nationwide) in 1985.

He also served as instructor at the PC Training Command in Silang, Cavite and a brief foreign post as instructor at the National Police Agency of Japan in 1996. From 1999 to 2001, he was the spokesperson and publicist to three chiefs of PNP.

From 2005 to 2007, Bartolome was named Provincial Director of Tarlac, after which he was again designated as PNP spokesperson until 2009 and as Director of the Police Community Relations Group from 2009 to 2010.

He also assumed command as Regional Director of Police Regional Office 4A (PRO4A) in Calabarzon and the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) in 2010-2011, and as Chief of Directorial Staff.

Bartolome was twice recognized for these outstanding achievements by the PMA Alumni Association that awarded him the prestigious PMA Cavalier Award for Special Field and Staff Functions in 1999 and 2006.

The new PNP chief was also conferred with the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Criminology by the Philippine College of Criminology in 2009.

Bacalzo relinquished his post after 38 years in the police service a week before his 56th birthday on September 15. The mandatory retirement age for police officers is 56.