Año says ideal term for PNP chief is 3 years

MANILA, Philippines — Interior Secretary Eduardo Año on Tuesday said the chief of Philippine National Police (PNP) should serve a term of three years to make sure the planned police programs are implemented during their leadership.

“Pinakamaganda tatlong taon para at least dalawang budget cycle iyong uupuan niya. Meaning to say, iyong pinlano niya for the next year, siya iyong mag-implement. Hindi iyong nag-budgeting, programming at planning tapos iba mag-implement, mag-iiba ng isip tapos babaguhin niya. Ako, sa akin, hanggang   60 years old, puwede mag-extend iyong term ng PNP,” Año said in a phone interview with INQUIRER.net when questioned about his opinion on a possible extension of retirement for PNP personnel.

(The ideal number of terms for PNP chief is three years so that they can be present at the two budget cycles. All their plans for the next year will be implemented during their term, not the next PNP chief. For me, the PNP chief can stay in his post until the age of 60.)

Año floated the idea as he expressed support for raising the mandatory retirement age of police personnel from 56 to 60 years old to extend PNP chiefs’ term.

“Iyong retirement age kung ma-appoint siyang chief PNP pwede hanggang 60 [years old],” Año said.

(As long as they get appointed as chief PNP, they can retire until 60 years old.)

He further lamented that the nation’s police force’s potential leaders have “matured experience,” but they would serve only a few months or years due to the required retirement age.

“Hindi mo naman pwede i-shortcut ang position, so ibig sabihin ang pagpipili ng strategic leader, makikita mo, ang potential na chief PNP, kapag pino-project mo na sa iba’t ibang position, nasa 55 [years old] or 56 [years old] na siya. Sayang kasi hinog na hinog na, tapos six months lang siya mag-se-serve o one-year siya mag-serve [as PNP chief],” the interior chief said.

(You can’t take shortcuts for the post so meaning when you choose a strategic leader, the potential PNP chief, once he is projected in different posts, he already reaches the age of 55 or 56. It is a shame because a potential leader is an experienced policeman, but he only serves for six months or one year as PNP chief.)

For instance, Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, the 21st PNP top boss, served 21 months or less than two years at PNP’s helm.

Meanwhile, former PNP Chief Police General Oscar Albayalde had a term of more than one year, starting April 19, 2018, until October 14, 2019. He stepped down before his mandatory retirement because of the allegations against him uncovered in a Senate hearing on Pampanga’s controversial 2013 drug bust.

Erstwhile PNP chief Gen. Archie Gamboa also assumed the PNP top post for almost eight months. He officially assumed as PNP chief last January 20, 2020, and retired on Sept. 16, 2020. Gamboa served as officer-in-charge from October 2019 to January 2020.

Gamboa also previously raised the idea of adjusting the retirement age of police personnel to 60 years old as two years were added in the curriculum due to the K to 12 program.

Outgoing PNP chief Police General Camilo Cascolan only served his term of PNP chief for only two months after reaching the retirement age of 56 this Tuesday. Cascolan was replaced by the outgoing National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Police Major General Debold Sinas.

Under Republic Act 6975, the compulsory retirement age for PNP personnel is 56 years old. Congress needs to file a bill to amend this law. [ac]