‘They’re all good’: PRRD on PNP chief shortlist

FILE: President Rodrigo Roa Duterte holds a press conference at the Malacañan Palace on November 19, 2019. TOTO LOZANO/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA — The three police generals on the list of contenders for the next Philippine National Police (PNP) chief are “all good”, said President Rodrigo Duterte, who would rather take his time in selecting.

Duterte said he may choose among Lt. Gen. Camilo Cascolan, deputy chief for operations, Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, former Metro Manila police director who now heads the directorial staff, and one more whom he did not name.

PNP officer-in-charge, Lt. Gen. Archie Francisco Gamboa, was also among the top candidates to replace Oscar Albayalde as PNP chief.

“Well, there are the rankings. I was given a list. I think there’s Cascolan, Eleazar and another one,” Duterte said in a media interview in Malacañang late Tuesday night.

“They’re all good. They’re soldiers. They came from the (Philippine Military) Academy.

I have no doubt about their integrity but I am taking my time appointing one,” he said.

Duterte said he was taking his time in deciding who would be the next PNP chief “because he would be appointing the heads of every department there especially the comptroller and the finance people”.

“Sino ‘yung gusto niyang mapunta doon, sino ‘yung kaibigan niya. Ako kasi ‘pag binigyan kita ng puwesto, hindi na ako nakikialam (Who would he want working there, who are his friends. When I give someone a position, I no longer interfere),” Duterte said.

The President cited former PNP chief, now Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, as an example of an appointee whose decisions he did not interfere with.

Late last month, Duterte admitted that he is having difficulty in selecting an “appropriate guy” who will take over as new PNP chief.

PNP spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac, said the selection of the country’s next top cop was not tackled during the command conference with Duterte on Monday.

He said the PNP can still function despite having only an officer-in-charge but was hopeful that there would be a permanent chief next year as Gamboa, being only an OIC, cannot approve the disbursement of funds for projects and procurement of equipment.

Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo earlier praised Gamboa for doing a good job as PNP officer-in-charge.