MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday said he will extend the tour of duty of Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Director General Ronald Dela Rosa.

He explained he was extending Dela Rosa’s tour of duty so the police chief can take care of infrastructure and organizational matters in the PNP.

“May ilipat ako at may gawin akong mga kampong mga bago,” Duterte said, refusing to reveal which new camps he will create.

“I want to do something in Mindanao of utmost importance,” Duterte added.

Duterte said the extension may be by two to three months. Dela Rosa is set to retire in January 2018.

Duterte said after Dela Rosa’s stint as PNP head, he can then proceed as the Bureau of Corrections’ new chief.

Dela Rosa is expected to be replaced by Deputy Director General Ramon Apolinario, the PNP’s second-in-command. Duterte, however, remained mum about Dela Rosa’s likely successor.

The outgoing PNP chief earlier said the President would be giving him the “most challenging” position in government, where everyone else had failed.

In an interview Wednesday, Dela Rosa said he was accepting the offer by his long-time "boss," seeing it as a way to help the country.

"He has been my boss ever since, and he is my boss forever. Kung anong trabahong ipapagawa niya sa akin, I'm willing to do it," said Dela Rosa, who was Davao City police chief when Duterte was Mayor.