Gamboa remains as PNP’s OIC: Palace

GAMBOA LEADS CEREMONIAL TURNOVER OF NEW NCRPO LEADERSHIP (File Photo: Philippine National Police/Facebook)

MANILA — Lt. Gen. Archie Francisco Gamboa will remain as officer-in-charge (OIC) of the Philippine National Police (PNP) even after President Rodrigo Duterte asked Interior Secretary Eduardo Año to supervise the country’s police force.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo made this remark after Duterte on Monday asked Año to supervise the PNP while he has yet to appoint a PNP chief.

“Wala namang sinabi si Presidente na yung OIC wala na di ba? (The President didn’t say anything about terminating the OIC, right?). So I suppose the OIC remains,” Panelo said in a Palace briefing on Thursday.

Panelo said Año will manage the country’s police force for as long as the President thinks is necessary.

“‘Di ba sabi niya hanggang kailan niya gusto? (Didn’t he say that he wanted Año to supervise the PNP sa long as he wanted him to?),” Panelo said.

Asked if this meant that the President would opt not to appoint a PNP chief until the end of his term in 2022, Panelo said Duterte’s pronouncements were always “subject to change.”

“Every pronouncement by the President is subject to change depending on the conditions prevailing at the time an announcement is made,” Panelo said.

“If the conditions no longer obtain, then the President necessarily will have to change his stand on a particular matter,” he added.

On Monday, Duterte admitted he is still having trouble deciding on whom to appoint as next PNP chief, saying the police force in Manila remained problematic.

The President wanted Año to “fix” the police force to ensure that the problems are minimized by the time he steps down from office.

Contenders for the PNP chief 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.

Also considered were Central Visayas regional director, Brig. Gen. Valeriano de Leon and Calabarzon regional director, Brig. Gen. Vicente Danao Jr.

Gamboa, meanwhile, said nothing will change on his function as officer-in-charge of PNP unless some of the powers given to him by the National Police Commission (Napolcom) will be withdrawn.

“As a matter of fact before the Christmas season, they added two new powers to me, the power to appoint police lieutenant colonels which is wala sa akin dati(not my function before),” Gamboa in a press briefing held at Camp Crame on Thursday.

Gamboa said Napolcom granted him the observer status to “actively participate” in the discussion.

“To actively participate in defending the resolution proposed for enactment for better and efficient service,” Gamboa said.

Asked if the President’s order would have also an effect on the procurement process in the PNP, Gamboa clarified: “It’s within my authority to sign contracts and act as the head of the procuring entity”.

“I can sign a notice to proceed, a notice of award, I can do all these things so no problem about that,” he added.

Gamboa took over as the officer-in-charge of the PNP after former PNP chief Oscar Albayalde stepped down from his office in October last year amid the ninja cops controversy. (With reports of Llyod Caliwan/PNA)