President Rodrigo Duterte could be eyeing an officer excluded from the shortlist submitted to him by the National Police Commission (Napolcom) as next chief of the 190,000-strong Philippine National Police (PNP).

Under the law, the Chief Executive may opt to choose someone not on the list of contenders for the PNP top post, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año said.

In fact, the President can select from as deep as the roster of one-star generals or brigadier generals to lead the PNP.

Año said Mr. Duterte is still undecided on who to name as the third top cop under his administration who will replace the resigned Gen. Oscar Albayalde.

Three weeks ago, Albayalde relinquished his post ahead of his 8 November retirement after being dragged in the “ninja cops” controversy.

“There are other officers in his mind. I leave it to his discretion,” Año said.

Año, who is concurrent Napolcom chairman, confirmed last week his submission of the shortlist of candidates for the next PNP chief. In the list were PNP officer-in-charge Lt. Gen. Archie Gamboa, Lt. Gen. Camilo Cascolan and Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar.

Gamboa and Cascolan are mistahs from the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1986, same as Albayalde, while Eleazar is a graduate of PMA Class of 1987.

According to Año, it is up to the President when he will announce his final choice “either from the shortlist or outside.”

Mr. Duterte was initially expected to name Albayalde’s successor before he leaves for the ASEAN Summit in Bangkok, Thailand today.

For the meantime, Gamboa will continue being the PNP OIC as provided by his duties and responsibilities crafted and authorized by the Napolcom and DILG.

Meanwhile, the PNP high command effected another round of reshuffles.

Among those reassigned were Brig. Gen. Rolando Anduyan, who was promoted as acting regional director of Police Regional Office 10 (PRO 10).

Anduyan takes over the post vacated by Brig. Gen. Rafael Santiago who was meted a six month-suspension by the Office of the Ombudsman for a graft case filed in 2012.

Santiago’s suspension order was received by the PNP’s national headquarters last 21 October.

Replacing Anduyan as Northern Mindanao police chief was Brig. Gen. Ronaldo Ylagan.

Ylagan’s post as Chief Regional Staff of the National Capital Region Police Office will then be taken over by Col. Danilo Macerin.

“This move sustains our campaign to reform the entire organization, as well as our drive against illegal drugs, criminality and lawless violence,” Gamboa said in a statement.

He reiterated that the latest movements by officials occupying key positions in the command group are still part of the continuing reform within the organization under his watch, as authorized by the Napolcom and the DILG.