Apolinario admits getting excited about prospects of being next PNP chief

Deputy Director General Ramon Apolinario admitted Thursday that he is excited following reports that he had been named by President Rodrigo Duterte as the next chief of the Philippine National Police.

“Siyempre excited pero no comment muna ako doon. I will perform my job first as the DCA (deputy chief for administration) of our PNP chief (Director General Ronald dela Rosa),” Apolinario told reporters after the ceremonial lighting of the Christmas tree at Camp Crame.

“No comment muna ako doon hangga’t wala pang sinasabi,” he reiterated.

Asked for his plans, Apolinario jokingly said: “Plants? Bougainvillea.”

“Kung me plans wala pa naman pero siyempre lahat ng star-ranked officers e yan ang ambition ng lahat (maging PNP chief) kung saka-sakali,” he added.

Apolinario said President Duterte did not specifically called for him in Malacañang on Tuesday as  he was with other police and military officials.

“No. It was a conference talaga. Marami kaming andun, it was a joint conference. I was not personally called,” he said.

At least two sources present during the joint conference in Malacañang confirmed to GMA News Online that Duterte called Apolinario as the next PNP chief.

However, Malacañang has yet to confirm this.

Dela Rosa will step down on January 21, 2018 when he reaches the mandatory retirement age of 56. On the other hand, Apolinario will retire on August 31, 2018.

Apolinario is a member of Philippine Military Academy class of 1985 while Dela Rosa belongs to Class 1986.

Apolinario, then officer-in-charge of the Region 4B police, was among the three candidates for PNP chief. The others were Dela Rosa, then a chief superintendent and the brigade commander of the Reactionary Standby Support Force; and Senior Superintendent Rene Aspera, chief of the PNP-Anti-Kidnapping Group.

Apolinario was Davao City Police chief from July 2008 to January 2010. — RSJ, GMA News