President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday confirmed that he has chosen a new chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), but would defer the formal announcement until he has personally spoken with the next top cop.
While the official announcement has yet to be made, President Marcos emphasized that the chosen officer is expected to continue the organization’s current programs, citing the significant drop in crime statistics over the past six months.
“I would rather not use this forum to announce that,” President Marcos in an interview with the Malacañang Press Corps on the sidelines of the 46th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
“I think I should talk to them first. The official decision has not yet been made public, and whoever it is should hear about it from me, not through the news,” the President added.
Pressed if a new PNP chief had already been chosen, the President replied in the affirmative, adding that Malacañang is “very clear on what we’re going to do next.”
While withholding the name of the appointee, President Marcos offered a glimpse into his expectations, describing the next PNP chief as a “very senior officer” who is already familiar with the organization’s direction and challenges.
“I will actually tell them, ‘carry on what you are doing,’ because we have very good statistics concerning crime,” he said, pointing to a 23-percent drop in crime nationwide over the past six months.
The President said the decrease in the crime rate is a sign that existing strategies are working effectively.
Citing official data, the President noted that from January 1 to May 16 this year, the number of recorded crimes had significantly declined compared to the same period last year, when there were over 15,000 cases logged.
“When you make that comparison, everything went down. So, they must be doing something right,” he noted.
President Marcos also emphasized the importance of police visibility as a continuing priority, saying it plays a crucial role in deterring crime and reinforcing public safety. | PND
