Only one name has been submitted to President Duterte as successor to Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Debold Sinas who is set to retire on May
"Meron na kaming nai-submit na recommendation kay Pangulong Duterte last week. Ito ay isang pangalan lang, di ko lang pwedeng mabanggit kung sino ito (We already submitted our recommendation to President Duterte last week. It is just one name only but we cannot say who it is),’’ said Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año in an interview over ABS-CBN’s TeleRadyo.
Año who is also the NAPOLCOM chairman explained that their recommendation was based on merit, seniority and capability of leadership and previous assignments in the PNP.
But Año clarified that the President has the “prerogative and authority’’ to pick any officer with at least a police brigadier general rank for the top PNP post.
“Halos lahat ng dumaan na PNP chief nandu’n ang pangalan na ni-recommend ng DILG at Napolcom. 'Yung No. 1 sa listahan ang sinusunod ng Pangulo (Almost all PNP chiefs were chosen from the recommendation of the DILG and NAPOLCOM. The President chose whoever is on top of the list),’’ he added.
The DILG chief in the same interview also noted that he has “fully recovered’’ from two heart bypass surgeries during his three-month medical leave.
"Okay naman ako I'm fully (recovered) from heart surgery bypass operation. Nagkaroon ng complication at inulit nila ang operation ko (I'm okay. I'm fully recovered from the heart surgery bypass operation. The operation was redone due to a complication),’’ Año said.
In January, Año said he underwent a physical examination where his doctor advised him to be operated on.
After his second bout with COVID-19 in 2020, Año revealed that he felt different and easily got tired and his heartbeat was fast.
Kung ikaw ay magiging severe (with COVID-19), mahirap talaga. Kaya sumunod tayo sa minimum health standards (If you become severe, it is really difficult. That is why we have to follow the minimum health standards),’’ Año disclosed.
“Normally after heart bypass after seven days pwede ka na umuwi. In my case umabot ako ng two months because of many complications, (Normally, you can go home after seven days after the heart bypass operation. In my case, it became two months due to many complications),’’ he noted. (Chito A. Chavez)