Lee captor decries transfer to Central Visayas

Senior Supt. Conrado Capa answers questions at yesterday’s press conference.
(INQUIRER)

EXACTLY a week after he was hailed for the capture of a fugitive property developer who was in the nation’s ‘Most Wanted’ list, Senior Supt. Conrado Capa found himself again hogging the limelight after Camp Crame announced his reassignment to Central Visayas as the No. 3 man of the regional police force.

In yesterday’s press briefing at the national police headquarters in Quezon City, PNP Director-General Alan Purisima announced Capa’s relief as head of Task Force Tugis, the elite tracker team which was responsible for the arrest of Globe Asiatique president Delfin Lee last March 6.

Purisima however, clarified that Capa’s transfer was meant as his “stepping stone” for his promotion to a flag (one-star) rank and should not be misinterpreted as a penalty.

“The reason for his relief is to promote him. This is for him to become a general in the future. Actually, he was long overdue for that position. This would give him an opportunity to be promoted in the near future,” Purisima said, adding that he will take over command of Task Force Usig which is a special unit directly reporting to the Office of the Director-General.

Capa was ordered to assume the position of Deputy Regional Director for Operations vice Senior Supt. Eduardo Ualat.  Ualat, who assumed the post in January last year, was accused of mauling a security guard at the Cebu Port Authority in October 2011.

The announcement of Capa’s relief and transfer came amid rumors that he was the one who leaked the information to the media that Mindoro Gov. Alfonso Umali allegedly attempted to intercede for Lee when he was arrested by the police.

Speaking to reporters a few hours after Purisima’s news conference, Capa did not mince words as he assailed the PNP chief for ordering his transfer to Central Visayas./Inquirer