PNP says appointment of Cotabato City police chief ” very basic”

May 27, 2019

The Philippine National Police ( PNP) said the appointment of a female police officer as new police director of Cotabato City '' was very basic'' as she was chosen by the mayor.

Police General Oscar Albayalde, the PNP chief, said in a press briefing on Monday said newly-elected Mayor Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi chose Police Colonel Portia Bañaga Manalad based on five officers they recommended.

Manalad is the first female city director in Mindanao.

“What happened there is very basic because she was chosen by the mayor based from the recommendation. It so happened that she picked a female (cop), remember on the city we have five names for the mayor to choose from,” Albayalde explained.

Despite the area being dangerous, Albayade said Manalad can deliver based on her credentials.

“We are maintaining our gender sensitivity and gender equality in PNP. We don’t discriminate anyone here. If (that person) can deliver whether female or male, if whoever was asked to deliver and who si qualified based on the performance and qualifications,” he added.

“She is qualified and based on the law she was chosen so we can’t do anything on that,” said Albayalde.

The PNP chief said this is not the first time that a female police officer was chosen for a higher position.

He said there are female cops who became city directors and provincial commanders, citing the provincial commander in Pampanga.

Based on her records, Manalad graduated from Philippine National Police Academy on 1995 and finished with a masteral degree in Public Management, Major in Development and Security from Development Academy of the Philippines on 2016. Ella Dionisio/DMS