SPO1 Adonis Dumpit, while taking a breather from processing his transfer documents, takes time to answer questions from the media regarding his return to the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) (CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON).
NOTWITHSTANDING the deaths of three crime suspects and the wounding of a dozen more attributed to his crime busting days as head of Cebu City’s “Hunter Team”, Cebu’s most controversial cop, SPO1 Adonis Dumpit, is still ready to shoot it out with suspected criminals.
When the situation calls for it, he said.
“Wa koy choice kay pulis man ko. Mapugos gyud ko. (I do not have any choice because I am a policeman. I will be forced to do my job),” he said in an interview yesterday.
The 53-year-old policeman who was convicted of homicide six years ago for killing a suspected robber was recently ordered to return to the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) after spending the last three months in the Bohol Provincial Police Office in Tagbilaran City.
“Abi nako’g adto nako sa Bohol mu-retire. Ok man sad didto. (I thought that I would retire in Bohol. I like it there too),” Dumpit told reporters.
Chief Supt. Noli Taliño, director of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) ordered the return of the multi-awarded sharp-shooting cop back to CCPO after approving a request from Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak, deputy mayor for police matters, to reassign Dumpit back to Cebu City.
Dumpit reported back to the CCPO last Tuesday. He also immediately went to the house of Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña whom he served as bodyguard for several years.
“Dapat mora kog lastiko ba, mainat ko bisan asa pa man ilabay. (Like an elastic band, I need to be flexible. I should be willing to be assigned anywhere),” he said.
Donning a complete police uniform, Dumpit sat near the entrance gate of the CCPO headquarters yesterday morning, apparently wanting to take a breather after processing his transfer documents at the CCPO.
While talking to reporters, Dumpit said he did not expect to be reassigned to Cebu City.
“Sukad ko niabot, didto naman ko sa ilang mayor puyo. Wa man koy kapuy-an. (Since I arrived, I lived in the mayor’s house because I don’t have a place),” he said.
Though willing to be assigned to any unit, Dumpit said that if given a choice, he would want to return to the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) where he used to work.
Dumpit, who will retire on May 13, 2019, the day he turns 56—the mandatory retirement age for policemen, also welcomed the possibility of being reassigned as the mayor’s security escort.
Osmeña’s three police escorts, which included Dumpit, were recalled by Camp Crame last August, as they did not have PNP chief Director General Ronald Dela Rosa’s permission to serve as the mayor’s security aides.
The recall order came after Osmeña was stripped by the National Police Commission (Napolcom) of his authority over the local police for declaring that he would no longer support police operations.
Osmeña was angered by the relief of Senior Supt. Benjamin Santos as CCPO director without his knowledge.
Dumpit, SPO2 Richelle Tejano and PO3 Romeo Batuhan were then reassigned to the Bohol Provincial Police Office.
When Napolcom restored Osmeña’s deputation over the local police, Councilor Tumulak deemed it proper to also ask PRO-7 to bring the mayor’s three police escorts back to Cebu.
In granting Tumulak’s request, Taliño said that Cebu City also needed more policemen, and Dumpit will surely help fill in the vacancy.
For his part, Senior Supt. Joel Doria, CCPO director, said he will assign Dumpit, Tejano and Batuhan to one of the 11 police stations in Cebu City while awaiting further orders.
Prior to his return into active service this year, Dumpit was placed behind bars for shooting to death a 17-year-old robbery suspect in 2004.
Last May 26, he was released from the regional penitentiary in Abuyog Leyte after he was allowed to post a P250,000 bail, which was granted pending resolution of his appeal after the court noted that Dumpit had actually served his minimum prison term of six years and exhibited good behavior during his incarceration.