PNoy confirms PNP chief Bartolome will retire next week

(Updated 3 p.m.) President Benigno Aquino III on Thursday said Philippine National Police chief Director General Nicanor Bartolome will be availing of early retirement. “He will be retiring. I believe, the turn-over ceremony will be next week on the 18th,” Aquino told reporters on the sidelines of the anniversary of the Department of Labor and Employment held in Pasay City. Deputy Director General Alan Purisima will take Bartolome's post. At a later briefing on Thursday, attended by both Bartolome and Purisima, Interior Secretary Mar Roxas  announced that the turnover ceremony will happen on Tuesday next week. Roxas said Bartolome has served the PNP "with distinction and with honor." Roxas also thanked him for his "statemanship" for agreeing to retire earlier than the mandatory retirement age of 56.  Bartolome will reach that age this coming March, at the middle of the election season when any leadership transition would have an effect on police preparations in ensuring peaceful and orderly elections in May. "Personally, I wish General Bartolome well. He will have lots of free time once he has acclimatized to a less hectic schedule. We repeat that we are always open to the possibility of working together with him in the future," Roxas said. Bartolome expressed his happiness that Purisima would take the plum spot. "I am indeed happy to formally turn over the responsibility as chief of the PNP to a very well-rounded and very much prepared senior officer in the person of Dep. Dir. Gen. Alan Purisima," he said. "I will not go on non-duty status, instead I will have an early retirement because I would rather that the new chief of the PNP will be able to get immediately the four-star rank, because it is juist fitting to the chief of the PNP will have that full authority and that authority is with a four-star rank," Bartolome added. Meanwhile, Purisima welcomed his "new challenge" and announced that the PNP will continue the programs started under Bartolome's leadership. Under Purisima's leadership, the new motto of the PNP, "Serbisyong Makatotohanan," will be the guiding principle. He said what this means each and every police personnel will serve the community "with full strength and vigor." Aquino's concern Aquino had expressed his concern that the change of command in March due to Bartolome’s retirement, could have an affect on security preparations for the May elections. For his part, Bartolome said: “Whatever the President desires, I will follow.” Also, he said he has no problem with Aquino’s plan to place him on non-duty status ahead of his early retirement. Earlier, Secretary Roxas also announced that Purisima will be in-charge of Task Force Halalan 2013. "We have tasked Alan Purisima to head the task force that we have formed for the elections next year. This would ensure that there will be someone at the helm of our preparations for the 2013 elections even after the retirement of the current leadership," Roxas said. — with a report by Gian C. Geronimo /LBG, GMA News