Duterte asks Año to supervise PNP

FILE: Interior Secretary Eduardo Año on Friday (Oct. 11, 2019) says he will submit three to five names of police officials whom he will recommend to President Rodrigo Duterte as candidates for the next Philippine National Police (PNP) chief. (PNA photo by Joey O. Razon)

MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday bared that he has asked Interior Secretary Eduardo Año to supervise the Philippine National Police (PNP) while he has yet to appoint a chief for the country’s police force.

Duterte admitted he is still having trouble deciding on who to appoint as next PNP chief lamenting that the police force in Manila remained problematic.

“Sa mga probinsiya, mahusay ang pulis (In the province, police are doing good). But in Manila…that’s why I did not appoint a PNP [chief.]. Sabi ko kay Gen. Año na hawakan niya (I told Gen. Año to supervise it first),” Duterte said in a speech in North Cotabato.

“You fix the police so that by the time we make the exit two years from now, at least yung mga problema ng Pilipino, medyo hindi na masyadong mabigat (the problems of Filipinos would be less heavy),” he added.

He also warned police and local politicians involved in the illegal drug trade and corruption from facing the worst type of punishment if caught.

“Pagka pumasok kayo sa droga (If you enter the illegal drug trade), there is no other way to deal with you except to kill you,” Duterte said.

Meanwhile, he slammed human rights groups for criticizing his aggressive crackdown on illegal drugs.

“Ang mga human rights na ‘yan, ang ginagawa puro human wrong, hindi human rights (Those human rights groups, they’re involved in doing ‘human wrong,’ not human rights),” Duterte said.

He criticized them for counting the number of suspects killed in the drug war instead of taking notice of those killed by crimes which resulted from drug overdose.

“Maraming buhay nasisira. Ikaw, may bahay ka, may adik ka lang sa bahay mo, may problema ka na. (There are many lives ruined. If you live with an addict, you have a problem). And even let me say, the family becomes dysfunctional,” he added.

Last month, Duterte said he would rather direct PNP himself than appoint a corrupt chief, insisting his desire for the next leader not to be involved in any allegation or case of corruption.

“I would rather not appoint anybody for that matter. Ako na ang hahawak (I will handle it). I will be the one directing…guidance and direction lang naman ako (I will only be there for guidance and direction),” Duterte said in a media interview on November 28.

In a TV interview earlier this month, he said even if all contenders were “good” he wanted the next PNP to guarantee that all drugs lords would be killed.

The PNP is currently headed by Lt. Gen. Archie Gamboa as an officer in charge.

Contenders for the post are Gamboa, Lt. Gen. Camilo Cascolan, deputy chief for operations and Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, former Metro Manila police director and now head of the directorial staff.

Other names mentioned were Central Visayas regional director, Brig. Gen. Valeriano de Leon and Calabarzon regional director, Brig.

Gen. Vicente Danao Jr.