Relieved Guadalupe police chief stands by his drug campaign record

GESTO

One of the two police station chiefs in Cebu City who were recently relieved from their posts expressed dismay over the decision of their superiors.

In an interview yesterday, Chief Insp. Jose Gesto of the Guadalupe Police Station said he did everything to address the problem on illegal drugs in the barangay.

He said he could hardly comply with the order to arrest at least five drug suspects daily because most of the drug personalities in Guadalupe are already behind bars.

“Wala naman kaayo tay dakpon diha. Parehas ra gud na kon managat ta, sige ta og panagat, mahurot gyud na ang isda. (We no longer have much drug suspects in our area. It’s just like when you frequently go fishing, you will later have fewer fish to catch),” Gesto told reporters.

He said he was disappointed when he learned about his relief order.

“I did my best. Naningkamot pud baya ko. Gani saksi ang mga tawo ana. Nisaka ko sa bukid. Stress kaayo ta. (I tried hard. In fact, the people in Guadalupe know the efforts I made. I went up the mountains. I was very stressed),” he said.

Gesto, who was appointed station chief of Guadalupe last April, said he will nonetheless follow the directive from his superiors.

“Naa na may order. Wa tay mahimo ana. (There’s already an order. There’s nothing I can do),” he said.

Senior Supt. Joel Doria, director of the Cebu City Police Office, earlier recommended the relief of Gesto and Chief Insp. Porferio Gabuya of the Talamban Police Station for failing to meet the target of arrests in their campaign against illegal drugs.

“They have had their accomplishments but its just that they failed to meet the target,” Doria explained.

Doria’s recommendation was approved by Chief Supt. Noli Taliño, director of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas.
Gesto is now the head of the Warrant and Subpoena Section (WSS) of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), while Gabuya is assigned at CCPO.

Senior Insp. Elisandro Quijano temporarily replaced Gesto as station chief of Guadalupe, while Senior Insp. Arieza Otida took over the position of Gabuya.

Cebu Daily News tried but failed to reach Gabuya through the phone yesterday. He no longer reported to the Talamban Police Station.

Taliño had given the city and provincial police directors in Central Visayas the authority to relieve their station commanders who fail to perform well in their anti-narcotics campaign.

“Kung hindi nila gawin ito, sila din ang maapektuhan. (If the city and provincial police directors won’t do something, their performances will also get affected),” he said.