Friday, August 17, 2018

PNP to follow Constitution after Duterte floats junta scenario

The Philippine National Police (PNP) said Friday it will only support a constitutional succession in the event of a vacancy in the Office of the President even as it expressed satisfaction with the leadership of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Duterte on Tuesday expressed frustration at how difficult it is to rid the government of corruption, prompting him to float again the possibility of cutting short his six-year term that ends in 2022.

The President said he prefers a military junta or the likes of Senator Francis Escudero and former Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. to replace him instead of Vice President Leni Robredo, his constitutional successor whom he deemed incompetent to take on the job.

PNP spokesperson Senior Superintendent Benigno Durana Jr, however, said the police organization was cool to the idea.

"As far as the Philippine National Police is concerned, I think that’s also made clear by Armed Forces of the Philippines, we will follow what’s written in the Constitution," Durana said at a press briefing in Malacañang.

Interior and Local Government officer-in-charge Eduardo Año has also said he does not see any possibility for a military junta to prosper.

A former military chief, Año said the AFP and PNP are happy with the leadership of Duterte, who put premium on the welfare of the military and police by doubling their salaries and enhancing their capabilities.

Durana added Duterte "has given almost a free hand" to the PNP leadership to do its job unlike in the past where there were "a lot of political influences."

"In my 30 years in the service, we’re just being given lip service by the previous administration – not this time. So this government has taken good, real good care of our uniform services now," the PNP official said.

He also cited continued public support — as reflected in the surveys — for the war on drugs, the centerpiece campaign of the Duterte administration which has drawn criticism here and abroad for supposed extrajudicial killings of drug suspects.

"The President was spot on all along that’s why he built the capacity of the Philippine National Police in dealing with our campaign against illegal drugs and our campaign against criminality because if you have a very good peace and order in our country, you know, it will create an enabling environment for peace and progress to thrive in this country," Durana said.

"And probably later on, this economic progress and development can trickle down to the rest of 90 percent of the Filipinos." — MDM, GMA News

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/664512/pnp-to-follow-constitution-after-duterte-floats-junta-scenario/story/

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