President Rodrigo Duterte announced Thursday that he has accepted the resignation of Vitaliano Aguirre II as justice secretary and named National Capitol Region Police Director Oscar Albayalde as the new national police chief.

Duterte made the announcements during his speech at the awarding ceremony of the search for the country's outstanding coastal community led by the Department of Agriculture held in Malacnanang.

"I accepted the resignation of Vit Aguirre, my fraternity brother, as Secretary of Justice. I am now in the hustings looking for a replacement," he said

Aguirre has been under fire after state prosecutors, who are under the Department of Justice (DOJ), dismissed complaints against two suspected drug lords.

Prior to Duterte's announcement, Aguirre still attended the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

In a press briefing earlier in the day, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that during the seven-hour Cabinet meeting, he did not see any indication that Aguirre was on the way out.

Reports circulated as early as Tuesday that Aguirre would be fired from his post.

"I told (Camp) Crame we have new chief (PNP). I'm going to announce it now, it's Albayalde," Duterte said.

He said his order to Albayalde is to expand the jails in the country so that all the criminals would be placed there.

Albayalde will replace PNP Director General Ronald dela Rosa, who will step down this month after his term was extended by Duterte. Dela Rosa was to have retired on January 21.

Once Dela Rosa retires, he will head the Bureau of Corrections.

Duterte said he had two choices for PNP chief. When he consulted the people of Davao, he said he was told Albayalde was too strict.This prompted him to choose the NCRPO chief.

"Then Albayalde is the man for you. So the stricter the better," Duterte said.

Albayalde had been going around Metro Manila, relieving some police chiefs for failing for act on crimes in their area. Celerina Monte/DMS