Appointment of new PNP chief still in limbo
MANILA, Philippines – With only over a week left before the 2019 ends, President Rodrigo Duterte has yet to choose the next leader of the country’s police force.
Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, who once served as the President’s trusted aide, said Duterte has not yet chosen the next Philippine National Police chief, and instead ordered the police force to focus on the administration’s efforts to address the illegal drug problem and criminality in the country.
“As far as I know, most likely wala pa po. Sabi niya diyan muna, hayaan mo muna ‘yung ganung set-up, mag-trabaho muna silang lahat at ipakita nila lahat ang kampanya laban sa droga, sugpuin ang kriminalidad,” Go told reporters.
(As far as I know, he hasn’t chosen a new PNP chief yet. The President said that the police force should focus on the campaign against illegal drugs and criminality.)
The last PNP chief, Gen. Oscar Albayalde, stepped down from his post last October after being tagged in a controversy involving the recycling of drugs.
He was also set to retire on November 8 this year, upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 56.
Lt. Gen. Archie Gamboa has since been named officer-in-charge.
Go admitted that the President is having difficulty in choosing the next PNP chief as all candidates are qualified.
Duterte is not looking for the best one, but the most honest one, Go added.
“Magagaling naman po lahat ng kandidato halos lahat naman po ay qualified. Talagang hirap ang Pangulo. Hinahanap niya ‘yung almost perfect, honest. Bagama’t huli ka sa klase, ang hinahanap niya ay honest,” he said
(All the candidates are qualified. The President is having a hard time choosing. He is looking for the almost perfect candidate, the most honest.)
Three names have been floated as the candidates for the country’s top cop: Gamboa, Lt. Gen. Camilo Cascolan and Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar
All three of them hold a 3-star general rank.
