INTERIOR Secretary Eduardo Año yesterday said President Duterte may not extend the tenure of PNP chief Gen. Dionardo Carlos, who reaches the mandatory retirement age of 56 on May 8.
“There is no guidance from PRRD (President Rodrigo Roa Duterte),” Año said when asked if the President intends to extend Carlos’ term.
“So far, Gen. Carlos will retire as scheduled,” Año added of the PNP chief, who assumed the top PNP post in November last year, replacing now senatorial candidate Guillermo Eleazar.
Carlos’ 56th birthday or retirement falls a day before the national and local elections. As the PNP chief, Carlos is on top of security preparations to ensure honest, orderly, and peaceful polls.
Año said he will have to assess what the President wants when he talks with the Chief Executive today.
“He has two options. PRRD can say ‘okay, I’ll extend you (Carlos) up to June 30,’” Año said, referring to the last day of Duterte’s six-year term.
“Or he can appoint an OIC (officer-in-charge) up to June 30 so that the new president will be the one to appoint (a new PNP chief),” he added.
“But more likely, the President does not want any extension (of the PNP chief’s term) to avoid any issue,” Año said.
Reminded that Duterte had extended the term of PNP chief Ronald Dela Rosa, Año said: “Yes, but that was under a different situation, his (Duterte) term was not yet ending then.
This time, his term is about to end. We will know that once we talk.”
The President extended the term of Dela Rosa, now a senator, as PNP chief for three months — from January 2018 when he turned 56 to April 2018. Dela Rosa was the first PNP chief to serve under the Duterte administration.
If the President does not want to extend Carlos’ term, Año said he will submit to the President a list of police officials who can succeed the incumbent PNP chief this week.
Among the officials who can succeed Carlos are Lt. Gen. Rhodel Sermonia, the PNP’s No. 2 man as PNP deputy chief for administration; and Lt. Gen. Vicente Danao, the PNP’s No. 4 man as chief of the PNP Directorial Staff.
The PNP’s No. 3 man, PNP deputy chief for operations Lt. Gen. Ferdinand Divina, is due to retire on May 2 or six days before the scheduled retirement of Carlos.
