GULLAS (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)
Talisay City Mayor Eduardo Gullas is worried that the relief of his police chief may be used by his political enemies against him.
“Because of the politics here in Cebu, that (to be impleaded in the illegal drugs trade) is not impossible,” said the 86-year-old Gullas patriarch.
Accompanied by his grandson, Rep. Gerald Anthony “Samsan” Gullas of Cebu’s 1st district, Mayor Gullas visited Chief Supt. Noli Taliño, Police Regional Office chief, at the regional police headquarters in Cebu City yesterday morning.
He manifested support to Supt. Emerson Dante, the new police chief of Talisay City, and PRO-7’s anti-illegal drugs campaign.
“We assured him (Taliño) that the fight against illegal drugs especially in Talisay where I am mayor will continue. And the support I gave our former city police chief cannot be less to what I’ll give to Supt. Dante,” Gullas said.
He said the Gullas family has not and will never engage in any illegal activities.
“Never (will we entertain illegal drugs). But you know very well politics. They might say that the real drug lord are the Gullases,” he said.
Supt. Aileen Recla, former police chief of Talisay City, was among eight ranking police officials and 20 policemen in Central Visayas who were relieved from their respective posts last month.
The order from Camp Crame did not state the reason behind the relief of the police officers.
The Police Regional Office refused to give the media the list of the newly relieved personnel pending investigation by Camp Crame.
The affected policemen were ordered to report to Camp Crame’s Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit.
PNP chief Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa earlier said there were a number of policemen engaged in the illegal drugs trade.
Since July 1, 123 policemen from Central Visayas were relieved from their posts.
Taliño said he explained to Gullas that Recla’s relief came from the Internal Affairs Service of Camp Crame, not from PRO-7.
“So far wala naman silang problema (We don’t have any problem with the Gullases),” he said.