A NEW Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) director will oversee the peace and order situation in the province five days going into the May 14 elections.
This developed after the Philippine National Police in Camp Crame relieved Senior Supt. Alan Okubo as the CPPO director on Tuesday and replaced him with Senior Supt. Manuel Abrugena.
Okubo, who assumed as CPPO chief on October 2017, has yet to be given a new assignment by the PNP.
Chief Supt. Robert Quenery, Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) director, said the move was part of the nationwide reshuffling of provincial and city police directors after the new PNP Chief Director General Oscar Albayalde assumed his post last month.
However, no specific reason was given for Okubo’s relief.
Aside from Okubo, the Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office also has a new police director. Senior Supt. Raul Tacaca took over as the Negros Provincial police chief from Senior Supt. Edwin Portento.
Albayalde earlier said he would first form an oversight committee to review the organizational composition of the PNP and evaluate whether key officials need to be reshuffled.
Since the revamp happened barely a week before the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections on May 14, Quenery advised the new provincial police directors to study and analyze the prevalent situations in their respective areas.
Meanwhile, Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III said he was surprised by the sudden transfer of Okubo.
Davide said Camp Crame should have waited until after the barangay elections so as not to compromise the election security preparations of the CPPO under Okubo’s leadership. /PIT Intern Glazelle Bless Viter