Marquez retires early as PNP chief

From Malaya Business Insight (Jun 24): Marquez retires early as PNP chief

PNP chief Ricardo Marquez has opted to retire from service on Tuesday next week, two months ahead of his mandatory retirement day on August 28 to give incoming PNP chief Ronald dela Rosa the chance to assume office immediately.

“Even before elections sinabi ko naman whoever wins I will retire earlier. Kung hindi ako magre-retire, the incoming chief will not be able to wear his four stars,” Marquez said yesterday as he bade goodbye to members of the PNP Press Corps.

Marquez said he will go on vacation for a few weeks before he accepts a job offer in the private sector.

Dela Rosa, the personal choice of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte to take over from Marquez, will assume as the new PNP chief on July 1. 

Marquez was picked by President Aquino to become PNP chief vice PNP officer-in-charge Leonardo Espina who retired July last year. Marquez became the permanent PNP head when its former chief, Alan Purisima, was facing several controversies until he was eventually ordered dismissed by the Ombudsman in June 2015.

Purisima and Espina were from the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1981, while Marquez is from PMA 1982.

Marquez, formerly the director for operations, was credited for the orderly and safe visit of Pope Francis in January 2015. When he became PNP chief, he also supervised the overall conduct of the Asean Summit in the country last November, aside from securing the May elections.

“I’d like to be remembered in this organization as somebody who has institutionalized patrolling and basic policing. A lot of our projects in the past have gone caput because walang backbone, where we put everything. So, it will run smoothly. So, now we have a backbone, the backbone of ‘Lambat Sibat,’” he said.

He added: “So, I’d like to be remembered as someone who institutionalized it, who was given the very special opportunity to serve our country in a very special capacity as commander of the Papal Task Force, the Apec Security Task Force. Minimalist ako so ‘yung dalawa na lang.”

Marquez also thanked members of the PNP Press Corps based in Camp Crame for their support during his incumbency, citing his smooth relationship with the media.

“A very big part of me would like to say thank you. Thank you for your support. Siyempre kahit anong galing ng PNP pag hindi naiko-communicate ang ginagawa namin, walang kuwenta. We recognize the very vital contribution of media in what we’re doing, in telling me na may mga pulis akong ganito, inform me that there are things that I should be doing and for all those things... From the bottom of my heart, maraming salamat,” Marquez said.

Deputy Director General Danilo Constantino, the deputy PNP chief for operations, will be given retirement honors today, nine days ahead of his mandatory retirement day on July 2. Constantino is the number three man in the PNP hierarchy.

Marquez’s early retirement and that of Constantino’s will leave the top three posts (PNP chief, deputy chief for administration, and the deputy chief PNP for operations) vacant.

The PNP leadership did not appoint the replacement of Deputy Director General Marcelo Garbo when he retired last March 2. Garbo was the deputy chief PNP for administration, the number two man in PNP hierarchy.

This will make Deputy Director General Francisco Uyami, the PNP chief of directorial staff, as the officer-in-charge for two days or until June 30.

http://www.malaya.com.ph/business-news/news/marquez-retires-early-pnp-chief