PNP chief confirms retirement in March next year

MANILA, Philippines - Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Nicanor Bartolome confirmed yesterday that he would take his mandatory retirement in March next year.

Bartolome said there was no direct pronouncement that President Aquino would like him to step down early from his post, but he admitted he could not turn down any order from the Chief Executive.

“The President said he might ask, (but didn’t say outright that) ‘I will appoint him’. There was no formal offer so there’s nothing to turn down,” Bartolome told reporters who pressed him on the issue of his possible appointment as Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) undersecretary.

Bartolome still has 177 days in the police service before mandatory retirement on his 56th birthday on March 16, 2013.

Bartolome also denied that he would be running for any position in the 2013 elections.

“Nobody is offering me any position. No party is inviting me... I am retiring on March 16,” he said of reports he would replace resigned DILG undersecretary Rico Puno.

The PNP chief, however, refused to comment about a Palace pronouncement that he has to retire early to give way to the next PNP chief to prepare for the coming midterm elections in May 2013.

At the same time, Bartolome said the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) will give him a testimonial parade in Fort Del Pilar in Baguio City on Saturday, earlier perceived to be retirement honors for the PNP chief.

“That is traditionally given to heads of different offices, of the Armed Forces, of the PNP and other units where a graduate of PMA belongs. So it is part of the tradition amongst us graduates,” said Bartolome.

Bartolome said he was invited a long time ago but deferred it because of floods and other disasters that hit the country, as well as the death of Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo.

“(The testimonial parade) had to be postponed, thus PMA had to give the slot of the date to retired Deputy Director General Arturo Cacdac. It has nothing to do with misconception about the farewell, it is not a testimonial dinner, it is a parade usually done for graduates of PMA,” he explained.