The Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) is willing to assign police personnel to the regional unit of the PNP Highway Patrol Group to fill the void left by the five HPG-7 policemen who were relieved after they got implicated in the murder of lawyer Noel Archival.
Chief Supt. Danilo Constantino, chief of PRO-7, said he has yet to receive a request from the HPG-7 for temporary reinforcements.
HPG-7 operates independently from PRO-7.
Camp Crame designated Supt. Rommel Ochave to take over the command at HPG-7. after its chief, Senior Supt. Romualdo Iglesia, was tagged in the crime.
Aside from Iglesia, multiple and frustrated murder charges have been filed against his deputy, Chief Insp. Eduardo Mara; intelligence chief and head of Special Operation Team, Senior Insp. Joselito Lerion; property custodian, SPO4 Edwin Galan, and PO1 Alex Bacani after they were linked to the ambush in barangay Coro, Dalaguete town, Cebu.
The five police officers were subsequently reassigned to the Personnel Holding Administrative Section (PHAS) in Camp Crame .
Constantino said he had advised Ochave to just continue with their function and not allow the celebrated case to affect them.
Senior Insp. Oliver Plania, spokesman of HPG-7, had earlier said that the relief of the five police officers could result in a vacuum in the police unit.