The Philippine National Police force. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / NIÑO JESUS ORBETA
MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte has already picked the next chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), Malacañang said Monday.
But presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said he is “not at liberty” to make public the name of Duterte’s choice at this point since he has yet to see the appointment paper.
“I know he has made a decision but I’m not at liberty to announce anything unless I have the appointment paper,” he said in a Palace briefing.
Incumbent PNP chief Gen. Debold Sinas is set to retire on May 8. Duterte appointed him as the PNP’s top boss last November.
In a separate briefing, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said Interior Secretary Eduardo Año, who chairs the National Police Commission, submitted to the President last week his recommendation on the next PNP chief.
He said Año only recommended one name for the post.
Malaya said the DILG expects that the President will choose the country’s next top cop “on the basis of seniority, merit, and experience as a police officer, as a police general.”
“We expect that within the next few days, bago matapos ang linggong ito, ay magkakaroon ng anunsyo ang ating Pangulo kung sino ang kanyang pipiliin,” Malaya said in a Laging Handa press briefing.