Roxas: Aquino screens Espina, Garbo for PNP chief post
MANILA, Philippines―Almost a month after former Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Alan Purisima stepped down from his post as the PNP chief, President Benigno Aquino III has initiated the screening of candidates for the vacated position.
In an interview after the Assumption of the Command Ceremony for newly appointed Special Action Force (SAF) director Chief Superintendent Moro Virgilio Lazo on Wednesday, Interior Secretary Mar Roxas said that the President has interviewed acting PNP officer-in-charge Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina and PNP directorial staff chief Deputy General Marcelo Garbo Jr.
Aquino also asked their records as part of the screening process, Roxas said.
“Noong Lunes, in-interview ng Pangulo si Deputy Director General Espina at si PNP directorial chief Garbo. Hiningi niya ang kanilang records, (Last Monday, the President interviewed Deputy Director General Espina and PNP directorial chief Garbo. He also asked for their records),”Roxas told reporters.
Asked when the President will announce his pick as the next PNP Chief, Roxas said that it will be revealed “during the right time.”
The Interior Secretary said that the PNP is still ironing out the details of the appointment as resigned PNP Chief Purisima has not yet been stripped of his four star general rank.
There could only be one four-star rank general in the PNP hierarchy.
“Si Director General (Alan) Purisima resigned as chief PNP and not from the PNP proper so ‘yung designation is nasa kanya pa. Isa ‘yan sa pinag-aaralan ng Pangulo, ang legality… na paano ba ang pag-appoint niya kasi ayon sa batas, there could only be one four-star rank general in the PNP,” he said.
(Director General (Alan) Purisima resigned as chief PNP and not from the PNP proper so he has not been stripped off of his designation. The legality of the appointment is being studied by the President because according to the law, there could only be one four-star rank general in the PNP.)
Aquino accepted Purisima’s resignation last Feb. 5 following the botched operation in Mamasapano, Maguindanao where 44 SAF troopers were killed.
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