President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. confirmed on Tuesday that he has already selected the next chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), but chose not to disclose the name for now.
In a press briefing with members of the Philippine media in Malaysia, Marcos said he preferred to speak directly with the concerned individual before making a public announcement, as the official decision had not yet been finalized.
"They should hear it. Whoever it is should hear about it first from me, not through the news," said Marcos.
"But yes, we’re very clear on what we are going to do next," he added.
He then noted that the new PNP chief is "a very senior officer" within the force who understands the current situation of the country.
Marcos stated that he plans to instruct the new PNP chief to continue existing efforts, pointing to positive crime statistics as a basis.
He highlighted the recent drop in crime rates, citing a 23% decrease in Metro Manila over the past six months. He also pointed to a national decline in index crimes, with reported incidents dropping from 15,156 between January 1 and May 16 last year, to 11,493 during the same period in 2025.
Nonetheless, he stressed that enhancing police visibility remains a priority, as it helps foster a greater sense of safety among the public.
"So, despite the fact that maraming maganda namang result na statistic, na maganda naman ang nagiging trabaho ng kapulisan natin in terms of law enforcement, kailangan din, hindi sapat na marami tayong – nababawasan natin ‘yung krimen. Kailangan nakikita ‘yung pulis para feeling safe naman ‘yung mga tao," Marcos explained.
"That’s why this new program of Cops On the Beat has been initiated," he added.
Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla earlier revealed that the President had already selected the next chief of the country’s police force.
The announcement came shortly before the retirement of PNP Chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil.
Potential replacements for outgoing PNP Chief Rommel Francisco Marbil include CIDG Director Police Maj. Gen. Nicolas Torre III, PNP Deputy Chief for Administration Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., Chief of Directorial Staff Lt. Gen. Edgar Allan Okubo, and NCRPO Director Brig. Gen. Anthony Aberin.
