Palace: It’s ‘early turnover’, not ‘retirement’ for Albayalde on Oct 29
Credit to Author: CATHERINE S. VALENTE, TMT| Date: Sat, 12 Oct 2019 07:40:41 +0000
PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) Chief Oscar Albayalde won’t have an early retirement but may have an “early turnover,” Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said on Saturday, a day after it was reported that Albayalde would “step down” on October 29.
READ: Albayalde announces early retirement on October 29
“[I] was with Albayalde just now. He said he was misquoted. It wasnt early retirement but a proposal for early turnover,” Andanar said in a text message to Palace reporters when sought for a Palace reaction.
The proposed “turnover” will take place before his mandatory retirement on November 8 when he reaches 56 years old.
Quoting Albayalde, Andanar said the turnover ceremonies at the PNP headquarters was calendared initially for October 29, ahead of the 35th Association of Southeast Asian (Asean) Summit in Bangkok Thailand from October 31 to November 4, which President Rodrigo Duterte would attend.
“Proposed date lang yung October 29 (October 29 was only a proposed date), Secretary [Andanar] kasi the President is leaving for the Asean Summit. No confirmation nor an official docs [document] from Malacañang yet,” the PCOO chief quoted Albayalde as saying.
“And it’s only a turnover of command if ever matuloy po. My retirement is still on November 8,” he said.
Albayalde has been linked to the controversial Pampanga anti-narcotics operation in 2013, in which 13 of his men were allegedly involved in recycling 200 kilos of shabu that were seized during the buy bust and letting a drug lord escape in exchange for P50 million.
Albayalde, then Pampanga police chief, has denied allegations.