Teen heads PNP for a week

The ongoing controversial revamp at the Philippine National Police will get a much needed break when a 17-year old takes over the PNP helm in celebration of Linggo ng Kabataan this week in Quezon City.

Antonio Paolo Gutierrez, a high school senior at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral School, was chosen as "Young PNP chief" by the city government, effectively taking the spotlight away from PNP chief Director General Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. — at least until Friday.

Ebdane’s leadership has recently been questioned for "lack of moral ascendancy" over the revamp of 32 officers in the police force.

According to Police Community Relations Group’s Inspector Eugene Orate, who also serves as Gutierrez’s escort, the teenager will be donning a police uniform during his "temporary" takeover of the PNP.

Imitating what he sees on television, Gutierrez said he will also be relieving police personnel who are found remiss in their duties. He will be echoing the original campaign of the PNP chief in winning the streets against crime.

Gutierrez said he also wants to fight kidnapping and illegal drugs, which are the major problems in the country today.

Gutierrez’s first day as "PNP chief" was spent making the rounds of various police units holding office at Camp Crame. The boy will hold office beside the desk of Ebdane at the PNP headquarters inside the camp until Friday.

Gutierrez is among the lucky 50 students chosen by the Quezon City government from different high schools in the city, who will act as "replacements" for officials in local government offices and other agencies in the city.

Gutierrez plans to take up social community development at the University of the Philippines or aeronautics at a flying school in the country when he graduates next year.