President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has sworn in retired police general Benjamin Acorda Jr. as the new executive director of the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC), marking a notable appointment amid ongoing government efforts to tackle organized crime and illegal online gambling operations in the Philippines.
Acorda, who headed the Philippine National Police (PNP) from April 2023 to April 2024, brings with him a long track record in law enforcement and intelligence. A graduate of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1991, he was among the founding members of the PNP Anti-Cybercrime Group and has held several high-profile roles, including deputy director of the National Capital Region Police Office, director of the Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group, and chief of the Anti-Fraud and Commercial Crimes Division.
Before his term as PNP chief, Acorda served as director for Intelligence from August 2022 to April 2023 and led the Police Regional Office 10 (Northern Mindanao) from late 2021 to mid-2022. His appointment to the PAOCC is expected to reinforce the agency’s intelligence-driven operations against organized crime and corruption.
The PAOCC, created through Executive Order 295 in 2000, is mandated to investigate and prosecute organized criminal groups, pursue corrupt officials, and coordinate anti-crime initiatives across government agencies.
In recent years, the commission has become increasingly active in addressing the surge of illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), which have been linked to various criminal activities including human trafficking, fraud, and money laundering.
Acorda succeeds Gilbert Cruz, who will reportedly transition to another government role.
