General Archie Gamboa took his oath as the new Philippine National Police chief on Monday afternoon before President Rodrigo Duterte and evacuees of Taal Volcano’s eruption.
Gamboa officially became the 23rd PNP chief as he received his four-star rank from the President in the rites in Sto. Tomas City, Batangas.
Duterte announced Friday that Gamboa will be his third PNP chief, months after former police chief Oscar Albayalde relinquished his post amid his alleged involvement in the so-called “ninja cops” illegal drugs controversy.
As second-in-command to Albayalde, Gamboa served as acting chief of the 40,000-strong police force for about three months or since last October 14.
“Three months as OIC has made me more than ready to take on the responsibility bestowed upon myself by the Commander-in-Chief to lead the PNP,” he said.
In his full capacity as PNP Chief, Gamboa noted the scaled-up thrust of the police leadership, focusing on discipline, reform, internal cleansing, an intensified campaign against criminality and illegal drugs, crime prevention, and strengthened public relations with media engagements.
“These policies and plans will remain to be the framework of my leadership, more so now that I am vested with more authority as Chief PNP to pursue the flagship program on internal cleansing and organizational discipline with greater vigor and efficacy,” he said.
Gamboa is yet another PNP chief from the Philippine Military Academy “Sinagtala” class of 1986. Among his classmates were Albayalde and former PNP chief and current Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa.
Gamboa has about nine months left as chief, as he is set to step down on Sept. 2, 2020, when he reached the mandatory retirement age of 56 years old.
Between Gamboa’s assumption as PNP’s acting chief and the announcement of his rise to the 4-star post, Duterte had repeatedly lambasted the police for their inadequacies and alleged crimes.
In late December, Duterte even ordered Interior Secretary Eduardo Año, a former Armed Forces Chief of Staff, to lead and fix the PNP.
Gamboa earned his Bachelor of Laws degree in Jose Rizal University in 2004. He has held different key positions in regional and national police units, particularly in the PNP National Headquarters, Southern Luzon, Caraga, and in his home province Bukidnon.
Upon his promotion to PNP headquarters, he was named the Chief of Directorial Staff in 2017, and became Deputy Chief for Administration in 2019.
Gamboa is married to wife Rozanne and blessed with two children, Marianne Louise, and Teofilo Ymil.
