Cop relieved after brod’s arrest for illegal drugs

FOR failing to report his younger brother as being involved in illegal drugs, a police officer assigned to the Talisay Police Station was relieved from his post yesterday.

SPO2 Jeffrey Diola, the older brother of Dennis Diola, 48, the No. 3 man in list of the Police Regional Office’s top 10 High Value Targets in its drug war, was ordered relieved by Senior Supt. Eric Noble, Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) chief, from his post and transferred to the CPPO’s personnel holding admin unit.

Noble said he ordered the relief of SPO2 Diola after he read about the arrest of Dennis Diola and his girlfriend Manilyn Arquillano during a buy-bust operation in Sitio Thana, Barangay Tisa, Cebu City.

When sought for his reaction about his relief, SPO2 Diola said he was confused about why he was relieved from his post.

“Naglibog pa ko, sir, ngano naing-ani ko ani, sir. Nagtinarong man unta ko sa ako trabaho (I am confused why I am treated like this because I have been doing my job as a police officer),” said Diola in a text message to Cebu Daily News.

Noble, for his part, said that as a police officer, SPO2 Diola’s reason to say that he just warned his brother several times to stop his illegal drug activities is not enough, and he should have informed his colleagues or the office about it.

Noble said that even if he warned his brother, would there be proof that he indeed warned him to stop his illegal activities?

But SPO2 Diola said in a text message that he had a long time ago informed the Regional Special Operations Group (RSOG) about his brother’s activities.

Diola said that it was even before Duterte became president.

“I had long informed the RSOG about my brother’s involvement in drugs. It was even before Duterte became president. I even thought of killing him myself after he used my name in his illegal activities. My elder brother, however, stopped me),” SPO2 Diola said in Cebuano.

“When I joined the police force, my brother and I were no longer on speaking terms. I even had him arrested. This caused friction between my father and I, and we had not spoken with each other until he passed away,” SPO2 Diola said in Cebuano.