The Philippine National Police on Friday welcomed President Rodrigo Duterte’s announcement he would lead the police force himself if he could not appoint the next top cop.
“The PNP supports the President’s statement that he is willing to take the lead in the PNP and we see no problem as our commander-in-chief is the source of all our directives, guidance and orders,” PNP spokesman Bernard Banac said Friday.
Meanwhile, President Duterte has claimed he he has dumped bodies in Manila Bay and in Mountain Province, apparently irked by criticisms his administration has failed to arrest big-time drug lords.
“Did we announce that this drug lord was thrown into Manila Bay? The other one I threw in Mountain Province, into a ravine. Do I have to advertise that? You fools,” Duterte said in a speech Thursday in Malacañang.
The President also threatened the columnists criticizing him for allegedly not targeting high-ranking members of drug syndicates.
But the PNP dismissed Duterte’s claim that he has dumped the bodies of drug lords into bays and ravines.
“The President likes to make these kinds of statements, but we don’t have reports about them,” Banac said.
Duterte is known for his foul mouth and exaggerated statements, but he would sometimes backtrack on his claims, saying he was joking.
Banac also said the PNP leadership does not take Duterte's statement as an indication of loss of trust, particularly on the police’s top brass.
“It's not new to us. We are being given the policy guidance and instruction on the campaign against criminality, illegal drugs, corruption.
Whatever the decision of the President in this matter, the PNP is ready to implement and support,” he said.
Recently, Banac said the police force could still function despite having only an officer-in-charge, Lt. Gen. Archie Francisco Gamboa.
Banac said Gamboa had the power to order the dismissal, recruitment or reshuffling of police officials as mandated by the National Police Commission.
But he said the PNP needed a permanent chief next year as Gamboa, being only an OIC, could not approve the disbursement of funds for projects and procurement of equipment.
Banac said by January, the PNP would procure new equipment and the signature of a permanent head was needed.
Duterte earlier said he was taking his time deciding who the next PNP chief would be because he was still conducting an “extensive background check” to ensure the next top cop was free of corruption cases.
Gamboa is one of the top candidates as PNP chief while the other contenders for the post are Lt. Gen. Camilo Cascolan, deputy chief for operations, and Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, former Metro Manila police director who now heads the directorial staff. With MJ Blancaflor