PNP chief shuns politics, vows to retire next year

Philippine National Police chief Director General Nicanor Bartolome. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine National Police chief, Director General Nicanor Bartolome, maintained Thursday that he will not run for an elective post and will retire on March 16, 2013 as scheduled.

This, Bartolome said, following speculations that he will be filing an early retirement to be the next undersecretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, as per President Benigno Aquino III’s request.

“According to the schedule of our organization, I have to step down on March 16,” Bartolome said, adding there has not been any formal offer from the President to start with.
“I might ask,” the PNP chief quoted Aquino as saying in his statement on the matter.

As to an elective post, Bartolome, once again, belied the information, saying that he has not received even an invitation to run under any political party.

“This is really surprising . . . what elective position? Eh I’m retiring on March 16,” Bartolome said.

As the head of the PNP, Bartolome said the organization will fully support the advocacies of the newly confirmed Interior Secretary Mar Roxas.