MANILA - President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed Lt. Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. as the new chief of the Philippine National Police, Press Secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles said on Monday.

A graduate of Philippine Military Academy ('Makatao' Class of 1989), Azurin is currently the commander of the Northern Luzon Police Area composed of the regions of Ilocos (Region 1), Cagayan Valley (Region 2), Central Luzon (Region 3) and the Cordillera Administrative Region.

Azurin was also the former commander of the Southern Luzon Police Area which include the regions of Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) - Region 4-A; Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan) - Region 4-B and Bicol (Region 5).

Azurin is a well-rounded police officer, having served the PNP in various capacities, both in police operations and administrative work.

He 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).

As a newly-promoted police general, Azurin served director of the Maritime Group and later as as the regional director of Police Regional Office 1 in Ilocos.

As middle-grade police officer, Azurin served as the provincial director of Benguet Province. He also served as the Chief Task Force Limbas of the Highway Patrol Group (HPG) and was also the Deputy Operations Officer of Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF).

As a junior officer, Azurin was assigned to various field units and offices that include the following: 1st Special Action Company in Parang, Maguindanao; 231st Philippine Constabulary (PC) Company in Quezon Province; Police Aviation Security Command -- currently the Aviation Security Group (AVSEG); Criminal Investigation Service Command -- currently the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG); Office of Internal Security (OIS); Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG); Health Service; Police Community Relations Group -- currently the Police Community Affairs and Development Group (PCADG); as well as the Directorate for Personnel and Records Management (DPRM).

Azurin was born on April 24, 1967 in Paniqui, Tarlac and was raised in La Trinidad, Benguet. He is married to Mary Grace Lino and has three children: Martin, Ninna and Aaron.

In a statement, the PNP vowed its full support to Azurin's leadership.

"Under PLtGen Azurin's direction, we assure the public that our police force will sustain its momentum to carry out PNP's mission and to deliver its mandate with utmost integrity, credibility and professionalism, all for safety and protection of our Filipino people," PNP public information office chief, Brig. Gen. Roderick Augustus Alba said.(OPS/with a report from Lloyd Caliwan)