WILL General Benjamin C. Acorda Jr’s term as chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) be extended or will the country witness the oathtaking of its 30th PNP chief this week?

Right now, these are the two major questions that can only be answered by a word from the Palace as Acorda is set to mark his 56th birthday on December 3. He will retire on that day.

Journal Group sources said that the Office of the President has been sent an official invitation regarding the scheduled PNP turnover of command this coming Friday although Malacañang has not yet replied.

President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ R. Marcos Jr.’s busy schedule is also being looked into when it comes to his attendance to the major Camp Crame event.

The Commander-in-Chief has the prerogative to choose a PNP chief from any official with the rank of Police Brigadier General up.

The appointed Chief PNP invariably gets a 4-star rank or the rank of Police General and become an ex-officio member of the National Police Commission.

Republic Act 6975 or The Department of the Interior and Local Government Act of 1990 states that the President shall appoint the PNP chief from among a list prepared by the Napolcom of “the most senior and qualified officers in the service.”

The lowest rank of a qualified appointee shall be a Police Brigadier General. The PNP chief shall have the following authority:

Command and direction of the PNP; the power to direct and control tactical as well as strategic movements, deployment, placement, utilization of the PNP or any of its units and personnel, including its equipment, facilities and other resources.

Such command and direction of the Chief of the PNP may be delegated to subordinates with the respect to the units under their respective commands, in accordance with the rules and regulation prescribed by the commission.

He also has the “power to issue detailed implementing policies and instructions regarding personnel, funds, properties, records, correspondence and such other matters as may be necessary to effectively carry out the functions, powers and duties of the Bureau.

Under RA No. 6975, the term of office of PNP Chief cannot exceed four years.

However, an exception can be made by the President to extend the PNP chief’s term “in times of war or other national emergency declared by Congress.”

RA 8551 or the PNP Reform and Reorganization Act of 1998 says that “except for the Chief, PNP no PNP member who has less than one year of service before reaching the compulsory retirement age shall be promoted to a higher rank or appointed to any other position.”

Since the PNP was created in 1991, two of its chiefs have already gotten an extension.

One of them is former PNP chief-turned Senator Ronald ‘Bato’ M. dela Rosa, whose term was extended for three months by then President Rodrigo R. Dutete on December 2017, or just weeks before the latter’s retirement on January 21, 2018.

Mr. Duterte then explained that dela Rosa’s term extension was primarily to facilitate the infrastructure and physical setting of the headquarters of the police in Mindanao.

After getting the 3-month extension, dela Rosa became the director of the Bureau of Corrections.

The same thing was done by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo when she extended the term of then PNP chief Edgar B. Aglipay for six-months.

Her move allowed Aglipay to serve as PNP chief from August 23, 2004 until March 14, 2005 although he had already marked his 56th birthday on September 13, 2004.

Legal experts also said then that the law bars the promotion in rank of anyone six months before his retirement.

In the case of dela Rosa, he was already a 4-star general when his term was extended.

However, the proposed Military and Uniformed Personnel (MUP) Pension Fund bill, expected to be approved during the 1st quarter of 2024, will raise the retirement age of officers and men of the PNP from 56 to 57-years old.

Officials said that the PNP chief must enjoy the President’s full trust and confidence.

However, Journal Group sources said that another crucial factor in the selection of the 3rd PNP chief under the Marcos Jr. ‘s administration will be the recommendation from his most trusted lieutenants and security officers and advisers from Solid North.

They include Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin ‘Benhur’ C. Abalos Jr., National Intelligence Coordinating Agency Director General Ricardo F. De Leon, National Security Council chief Eduardo M. Año and Presidential Adviser on Police and Military Affairs Roman ‘Popong’ A. Felix.

Journal Group sources said that President Marcos Jr. has a long list of candidates who may succeed Acorda. They include the current members of Gen. Acorda’s Command Group namely PNP Deputy chief for Administration, Lieutenant Gen. Rhodel O. Sermonia; PNP Deputy Chief for Operations, Lt. Gen. Michael John F. Dubria; and The Chief Directorial Staff of PNP, Major Gen. Emmanuel B. Peralta.

Then there are the members of Philippine Military Academy ‘Tanglaw-Diwa’ Class of 1992 whose names are being mentioned as among the contenders to replace Acorda.

They are National Capital Region Police Office director, Brig. Gen. Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr., PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group director, Major Gen. Romeo M. Caramat Jr., PNP Director for Human Resource and Doctrine Development, Brig. Gen. Ronald O. Lee, PNP Director for Logistics, Maj. Gen. Mario A. Reyes, PNP Director for Logistics, Brig. Gen. Leo M. Francisco and Area Police Command-Western Mindanao commander, Maj. Gen. Jonnel C. Estomo.

Last but not the least, Journal Group sources said PNP Director for Police-Community Relations, Maj. Gen. Edgar Alan O. Okubo as another ‘Chief PNP-tiable.”

Officials said that the appointment of the 30th PNP chief will be crucial since he will not only be leading the organization’s continuing war on drugs, criminality, terror and corruption but will be appointed on a time that the entire country is facing major challenges brought about by the West Philippine Sea issues and the Israeli-Hamas war.

The PNP chief must possess the competency and integrity to handle the job as he will be answerable to the PNP’s internal and external audience.

AUTHOR PROFILE

Alfred P. Dalizon