3 contenders vie for top PNP post

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año has endorsed three police officials to President Rodrigo Duterte to be the next chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP).

PNP chief Gen. Archie Gamboa, a member of the Philippine Military Academy “Sinagtala” Class of 1986, is set to retire on Sept. 2 when he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 56.

“Secretary Año has submitted three names to the President, but we cannot reveal the names and ranks,” Interior Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said in a text message on Friday.

Malaya said Mr. Duterte “may choose from the list or he has also the discretion to appoint anyone from all the generals of the PNP.”

In a statement, PNP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac said the change of command ceremony would be at the PNP Multi-Purpose Center at Camp Crame in Quezon City on Sept. 2, “subject to the availability” of President Duterte as guest of honor and speaker and presiding officer.

He said all invited officials would join the ceremony via video teleconferencing.

According to Banac, three officials of the PNP Command Group who are qualified to succeed Gamboa as PNP chief are: Police Lt. Gen. Camilo Cascolan, Deputy chief for administration and head of the Administrative Support to COVID-19 Operations Task Force; Police Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, deputy chief for operations and commander of the Joint Task Force COVID Shield; and Police Lt. Gen. Cesar Hawthorne Binag, chief of the PNP Directorial Staff.