CDEU chiefs to be relieved as Garma eyes police unit’s ‘complete overhaul’

Police Colonel Royina Garma says she is going to make major changes in leadership of the City Drug Enforcement Unit after one of its members was arrested in a buy-bust operation last week. | Gerard Vincent Francisco

CEBU CITY, Philippines —After the arrest of Police Corporal Rogelio Atillo during a buy-bust operation on Friday, June 7, 

Cebu City’s Drug Enforcement Unit will undergo a major overhaul after one of its police officers was caught selling illegal drugs during a buy-bust operation last week in Barangay Pardo, Cebu City.

Police Colonel Royina Garma, Cebu City Police Office chief, said in an interview on Monday that all City Drug Enforcement Unit (CDEU) officials would be relieved from their duties after the arrest of Police Corporal Rogelio Atillo, who was a member of the Labangon Police Precinct’s CDEU, during an anti-illegal drug operation.

Read more: Cop, who moonlights as drug pusher, nabbed with P170K shabu in Pardo bust

Garma said she was considering Police Captain Joffrey Grande, Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) platoon leader, to take over as the head of the CDEU.

She also said that they would review the policies in the CDEU especially since they were vulnerable to doing crime because of their access to money and drugs.

“They are very vulnerable na matempt, na mocommit og mga crimes. So we will review our policies in the conduct of police operations,” said Garma.

(They are vulnerable and could be easily tempted to commit crimes. So we will review our policies in the conduct of police operations.)

Aside from planning to put a new CDEU leader, Garma said she would also allow the station commanders of the different police stations to be head of their DEU of their respective stations.

Meanwhile, Police Brigadier General Debold Sinas said they would be investigating on why Atillo had to do the crime.

Initial investigation showed that Atillo allegedly stored 15 grams of illegal drugs to sell these to a buyer.

Atillo allegedly wanted to sell the illegal drugs to have more money for himself./dbs