Chief Supt. Noli Taliño
No more police escorts for Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña.
This after the Philippine National Police (PNP) recalled the mayor’s three police escorts, including SPO1 Adonis Dumpit, the mayor’s most trusted and close-in security aide.
Chief Superintendent Noli Taliño, director of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO 7), said Osmeña’s police escorts are now assign to the Bohol Provincial Police Office.
The move came a day after the National Police Commission (Napolcom) stripped the mayor of his control over the city police in response to Osmeña’s earlier decision to also withdraw a number of financial aid to the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), including the city-issued firearms as well as the gasoline allocation for patrol cars.
Asked why the mayor’s police escorts were also taken away, Taliño said only the grant of escorts to Osmeña was unauthorized, because the PRO 7 and CCPO directors both have no authority to provide security to local chief executives.
“It is only the PNP chief ang pwedeng mag approve ng security ng mayor,” indicating that if Osmeña wants police escorts, he should request from PNP Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa.
Osmeña, who is on medical leave, is in the United States and due to return to the city on August 14.
But even as Osmeña has lost his authority over the city police, Taliño and Senior Superintendent Joel Doria, the CCPO chief, visited Acting Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella in his office this morning to assure the official that the PNP will still work hand in hand with the city government on their campaign against illegal drugs and criminality in the city.
Labella said he appreciated the gesture of the two police officers of personally assuring him of the police’s continued anti-crime campaign in the city.
Labella is the city’s acting mayor until August 13.