MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has appointed former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Rodolfo Azurin Jr. as special adviser and investigator of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), Malacañang announced Monday.

Azurin will formally assume his role “after concluding his personal and administrative arrangements,” the Office of the President said in a statement.

“The administration is confident that General Azurin’s experience and leadership will further strengthen the Commission’s mandate to uphold accountability and transparency in the use of public funds,” the statement read.

Azurin succeeds Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, who resigned from his concurrent post as ICI special adviser due to possible conflict of interest concerns. Marcos earlier directed his legal team to study Magalong’s involvement in the commission while serving as a local chief executive.

The President thanked Magalong for his contributions, saying his efforts in safeguarding the integrity and credibility of the ICI “have been vital to the government’s campaign against corruption in infrastructure projects.”

Azurin, a member of the Philippine Military Academy “Makatao” Class of 1989, served as the country’s 28th police chief following his appointment by Marcos in August 2022 until his mandatory retirement in April 2023.

During his PNP leadership, Azurin pushed the MKK=K principle — “Malasakit + Kaayusan + Kapayapaan = Kaunlaran” (Compassion + Order + Peace = Progress) — as a guiding philosophy of the police force. He also launched the Kasimbayanan program (Kapulisan, Simbahan, at Pamayanan) to strengthen grassroots cooperation between police, religious groups, and communities. (PNA)