Bartolome to exit from PNP earlier
Philippine National Police chief Director General Nicanor Bartolome. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO
VIENTIANE, Laos — Philippine National Police chief Nicanor Bartolome is likely to go on non-duty status before the end of the year to allow for his early replacement and smoother preparations for the forthcoming midterm elections in 2013, according to President Benigno Aquino III.
Aquino told reporters in Vientiane that a PNP transition in March, which is when Bartolome is due to retire, would be in the thick of electoral campaigning and would be too close to the actual elections in May, in which peace and order is a main concern.
He would talk to Bartolome about turning over his post early, possibly by November or December.
“So at the time when it’s most critical that the person who will be directly in charge of the peace and order situation suddenly retires at the peak, that seems wrong. So I’ll discuss that with him. And he might go on what is called the no-duty status,” he said.
Should Bartolome be on non-duty status, he would still get to retire on his actual 56th birthday in March and reap full retirement benefits, he added.
He said Bartolome recognizes the fact that it would not do to have the leader of an organization leave at a crucial time.
Aquino also noted that a ban on new appointments would kick in by February. A new appointment earlier would be necessary.
“You would want the person who will be in charge of monitoring and supervising the conduct of the PNP to… to have the chance to organize, to be able to put in place the necessary people to ensure that we have orderly and peaceful elections,” he said.
He added that if Bartolome would retire in March and the appointments ban would be in place by February, someone could raise the question of whether the President could appoint a replacement at that time, and that would be an “unnecessary irritant.”
Bartolome earlier said he was ready to leave the service ahead of his scheduled retirement to help preparations for the mid-term elections.
