Bartolome steps down, finally

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

Deputy Director General Alan Purisima takes over as Philippine National Police chief from Director General Nicanor Bartolome on Dec. 18.

And he will be getting his fourth star, too, with Bartolome’s early exit.

According to officials, President Aquino has asked Bartolome to step down three months ahead of his retirement date to avoid any complications in Purisima’s getting a fourth star as PNP chief.

Had Bartolome been allowed to go on nonduty status only, as earlier proposed, he would keep his four-star rank until he retires on March 16.

This would mean that Purisima, the new PNP chief, would remain a three-star general like his subordinates, said Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II.

“The star does not become available if it’s just non-duty status. There is room for only one four-star official. If it’s nonduty status, there is an awkward situation where the head of the PNP is of the same rank as his underlings,” Roxas said in a phone interview.

Roxas announcement

Roxas formally announced Purisima’s appointment as the 18th PNP chief at a press briefing in Camp Crame Thursday, ending months of speculation about Bartolome’s fate.

The reason given for Bartolome’s being asked to retire early was to allow for the smooth preparations for the 2013 elections. It is argued that waiting for Bartolome to retire in March before appointing a replacement would run smack into the election ban on appointments.

President Aquino confirmed to reporters Thursday the news about Bartolome’s impending retirement at the Department of Labor and Employment’s anniversary rites at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.

“He will be retiring. The turnover ceremony will be next week, on the 18th,” was the President’s curt reply.

The confirmation of Bartolome’s early retirement came as a surprise as he was earlier thought to be going on nonduty status until he turns 56 in March, the mandatory retirement age for police officials.

In early November, the President broached the idea of Bartolome going on nonduty status before the end of the year to allow for his early replacement and smooth preparations for the elections.

Bartolome had indicated a desire to retire in March, as scheduled, so he could enjoy all his retirement benefits. But Mr. Aquino said that would be too close to the May elections, leaving it too late to appoint a replacement because of the ban on appointments during elections.

Cory’s aide

Purisima, who is a former aide of the late President Corazon Aquino, the President’s mother, takes over the 148,000-strong PNP less than five months before the mid-term elections in which more than 18,000 elective posts are up for grabs.

“This further strengthens preparations for the elections,” Roxas said.

Bartolome appeared onstage with Roxas and Purisima at yesterday’s Camp Crame news briefing.

He looked calm as he welcomed the takeover of Purisima. He said he opted to file for early retirement than go on nonduty status to allow the President to promote the next PNP chief to a director general, the equivalent of a four-star general in the military.

“I am indeed happy to formally turn over the responsibility as chief of the PNP to a very well-rounded and very much prepared senior (PNP) officer,” Bartolome said.

He said he was looking forward to spending more time with his family, noting that he had spent most of his 37 years in government service away from them.

Roxas praised Bartolome for making the “sacrifice” of retiring early “in the interest of the service to preserve the strength and unity of the PNP and the chain of command.”

“He has agreed to let go of the nonduty status option open to him. Since he will be retiring early, he will incur some penalty financially in his retirement benefits,” Roxas said.

“That’s why we want to thank him for his heroism on this respect and on his decades of services to our people and the PNP,” he said.