MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte was “really devastated” over the “ninja cops” controversy in the Philippine National Police (PNP) – one of the main enforcers of his war on drugs.
This was revealed Wednesday by Jonathan Malaya, spokesman of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and Undersecretary for Plans, Public Affairs, and Communications.
“We need someone to help us bring back the morale of the organization, bring back the public trust, and the President’s trust as well because the President really was devastated with all of what happened,” he said in an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel.
He even explained that the next PNP chief should be able to help bring back the confidence of the President to the police force.
He added that Duterte’s disappointment with the PNP, as earlier confirmed by Malacañang, prompted the major revamp in the police organization.
READ: Palace confirms Duterte’s disappointment over ‘ninja cops’ mess
READ: ‘Major revamp’ implemented in PNP
He said that any question on the credibility of the PNP leadership has some effect on the integrity of the Duterte administration’s campaign against illegal drugs.
“We need an individual who can bridge the gap from where we are right now to what we want to be,” noted Malaya, referring to whoever will be appointed as next leader of the 190,000-strong PNP.
Malaya then recounted the 18-month stint of Gen. Oscar Albayalde as PNP chief, saying that the DILG did not expect the sudden turn of events in the wake of the controversy on the alleged drug recycling in Pampanga in 2013.
He added he can say “with all confidence” that Albayalde “has done very well for the organization.”
“We were impressed with his performance, and [Interior] Sec. [Eduardo] Año was impressed with his performance. We want him to be judged on the basis of his term of office as Chief PNP, and if we look at that term of office, he did very well, so this is really a shock to many,” he said. /kga