A major reshuffle looms anew in the top brass of the Philippine National Police (PNP) after the organization’s number two man decided to bow out of the service three months earlier of his mandatory retirement schedule.

Deputy Director General Jefferson Soriano, the PNP deputy chief for Administration, is expected to retire this month to prepare the younger officers to assume the top posts in the national police organization. His mandatory retirement is on November 11.

Soriano’s early retirement would be the start of the exit of the remaining members of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class 1976 who all expressed interest to bow out of service early, including the PNP Chief, Director General Jesus Verzosa.

“There is no specific date but it (my retirement) will be earlier than December 25, they (remaining PMA Class 1976) will also retire early” said Verzosa.

Aside from Verzosa and Soriano, the remaining members of the PMA Class 1976 in the PNP are Police Director Abner Cabalquino, the chief of the Directorate for Personnel and Records Management and Police Director Luizo Ticman, the chief of the Directorate for Logistics.

Both Cabalquinto, who is scheduled to retire on October 9, and Ticman, on October 10, will go on non-duty status on September 15.

In the military, the remaining 1976 members are Lt. General Ben Dolorfino, commander of the Western Mindanao Command; Vice Admiral Leonardo Calderon, PMA superintendent.

“We (remaining PMA Class 1976 members) have been talking about it and all of us do not want to retire during our birthdays,” he added.

This was confirmed by Soriano who said in earlier interview that it was the general consensus of the remaining PMA Class 1976 members. “It was a general consensus because we are taking the cue from the PNP chief. I am almost sure that the PNP chief will go ahead of his time,” said Soriano.

“There’s no pressure, we only want to leave a legacy in the PNP to be the first (PMA) class to go ahead of the time (retirement). Our early retirement and the assumption of younger officers to top positions in the PNP will make the institution more stable,” he added.

With the gradual exit of the PMA Class 1976 members in the PNP, expected to assume its leadership are members of the PMA Class 1977 who presently occupy the organization’s third and fourth highest posts.

Deputy Director General Perfecto Palad is currently the number three man of the PNP being the deputy chief for Operations while his mistah Police Director Raul Bacalzo is The Chief of the Directorial Staff (TCDS). Both Palad and Bazalzo are top contenders for the PNP Chief post under the seniority rule.