On my part, if they have even a single case of corruption… you’re out.

Having a hard time choosing from candidates, President Rodrigo Duterte said he may take up the task of leading the police force himself. YUMMIE DINGDING

President Rodrigo Duterte may opt to lead the 185,000-strong Philippine National Police (PNP) if nobody passes his primary criteria of “zero corruption” record among the police generals.

The Chief Executive floated the idea on Thursday night while presiding over the 2019 OFW Family of the Year Award (MOFYA) program held at Heroes Hall in Malacañang.

According to the President, up to now he has not yet decided on who he will appoint as chief PNP weeks after Gen. Oscar Albayalde resigned from his post and subsequently retired from the police service on 8 November.

The President stressed that a single case of corruption will disqualify any aspirant to the post.

“On my part, if they have even a single case of corruption… you’re out. I would rather not appoint anybody for that matter, I will be the one who will handle it. I will be the one directing the guidance and direction,” the President told reporters.

The National Police Commission submitted a shortlist to Mr. Duterte composed of PNP officer-in-charge PLt. Gen. Archie Gamboa, PNP Deputy Chief for Operations PLt. Gen. Camilo Cascolan and PMaj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, PNP chief directorial staff.

Earlier, Mr. Duterte described the three as “good,” but stressed he was taking his time to decide.

According to the President, there are many things that the PNP has yet to improve on before he could appoint a new PNP chief.

The President also cited the involvement of police generals in the illegal drugs trade as a factor for his being thorough in picking the next chief PNP.

Albayalde was dragged into the Senate inquiry on “ninja cops” from Pampanga who were involved in the recycling of seized illegal drugs to make money in 2013.

The former PNP chief was serving as Pampanga Provincial Police director when his intelligence chief, Maj. Rodney Baloyo, conducted an alleged anomalous drug raid in Mexico town, seizing an estimated 200 kilograms of shabu and P10 million cash.

However, Baloyo’s group only declared 36 kilos of shabu and even freed arrested suspected drug lord Johnson Lee and replaced him with another suspect in exchange for P50 million.

Albayalde denied the allegation but resigned as chief PNP, upon the advice of Mr. Duterte, at the height of the Senate inquiry.

The President lamented the fact that more than three years after he assumed office and started cleansing the PNP, the organization remains problematic.

“There are so many things the police have to improve on. Unless I think I see the very best guy there. You show me, tell me, you tell me who is the best to handle the command there. Just give me an honest man,” the President said.

“But I’m still trying to find one. But verily, the police have many problems. Even the generals are involved in drugs,” he said.

Fighting and defeating the proliferation of illegal drugs was among the campaign promises of Mr. Duterte during the 2016 presidential elections, and the PNP is at the forefront of the war on drugs.

Reacting to the President’s statement, PNP spokesman PBrig. Gen. Bernard Banac said the PNP is excited over the prospect of having the Commander-in-Chief in the organization.

“That is good news. The President is our Commander-in-Chief where we get our guidance and instructions when it comes to fighting illegal drugs and criminality,” Banac said in an interview.

“Of course, we are excited because as our Commander-in-Chief, we will be alongside him every day in carrying out our duty,” he added.

Meanwhile, the President publicly expressed his displeasure with Vice President Leni Robredo, whom he appointed as co-chairman of the Inter-Agency Committee on Illegal Drugs (ICAD) but fired after only 19 days.

Mr. Duterte particularly cited the Vice President’s meeting with representatives of the United Nations and United States Embassy immediately after accepting the ICAD post.

“She made an a****** of herself. Always talking. What I did not like was that the first thing she did was to go to the Embassy of the United States of America then to the UN and to the EU (European Union),” the President stressed.