Hontiveros urges Gamboa: Lead PNP with ‘more decisiveness’ before you retire

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Risa Hontiveros on Thursday urged Philippine National Police chief Gen. Archie Gamboa to lead the country’s police force with “more decisiveness” for the remaining week of his stint as PNP’s top boss.

“I am asking the Chief PNP, in his closing week of leadership, to lead the PNP with more decisiveness, because from the PNP, at this time, we need more accountability and justice. That is what I am still hoping for from the leadership and from him,” Hontiveros told ABS-CBN News Channel.

Gamboa will retire from the police service on September 2 when he turns 56, the mandatory retirement age in the PNP.

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Hontiveros also urged Gamboa to lead his subordinates in becoming more “proactive” in investigating the possibility that some police officers in Sulu might have links with members of terrorist groups.

“I am hoping that Chief PNP Archie Gamboa, my mistah, will in his closing week of leadership of the national police lead the PNP in being more proactive in getting to the bottom of these allegations that some police officers have links with members of terrorist organizations, and starting—this is again my call to the chief PNP—starting with the relief of the entire Jolo police force while investigations are underway,” she added.

In a privilege speech on Wednesday, Hontiveros called for the relief of the entire Jolo police force from their posts following the deadly twin blasts in Barangay Walled City on August 24 that killed 15 and injured at least 75 others composed of soldiers, police, and civilians.

Hontiveros raised concerns that members of the Jolo police who might have links with terrorists will still have access to intelligence materials being used by security forces to trail members of terrorist groups.

She also called for a full investigation of the bombings and its possible connection to the killing of four Philippine Army intelligence officers by the police on June 29.

Philippine Army chief Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana earlier revealed that the two female suicide bombers that the military was trailing but lost track of due to the death of its intelligence officers were the ones responsible for the August 24 blasts.

During an earlier Senate hearing, Maj. Gen. Corleto Vinluan Jr., chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines – Western Mindanao Command, also agreed that the policemen involved in the fatal shooting of Army intelligence officers may have had links to the two suicide bombers being tailed by the soldiers.

JE