Supt. Leonardo Felonia submitted himself to Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, saying he came forward to “clear my name.” (KARLOS MANLUPIG/ INQUIRER MINDANAO)
He’s no longer seen in Davao after being accused of hiring the gunman who killed businessman Richard King.
Supt. Leonardo Almirante Felonia was the favored choice of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte as the city’s next police chief.
At the time his name surfaced as a suspect, Felonia was awaiting a rank promotion and then appointment as police director of Davao city after completing interviews by the promotion board.
He is not behind bars because no arrest warrant has been issued against him.
A PNP press statement said Felonia has been relieved from his post in Davao City as head of the Regional Intelligence Unit and recalled to his mother unit at the Intelligence Group Headquarters in Camp Crame “to assure his availability to face investigation.”
Felonia, 52, is a native of Arakan Valley in North Cotabato. He joined the now-defunct Philippine Constabulary (PC) in 1986 after completing a criminology degree and spent most of his years in the police as station commander in Davao City.
Felonia is also a decorated police officer who received the Medalya ng Kasanayan, Medalya ng Papuri, Medalya ng Paglilingkod and the Philippine National Police Badge of Honor.
In 2003, as a station commander of the Sasa Police Station, he led an operation that saw the end of what was described as a big-time drug syndicate. For this, he was promoted to superintendent and came to head the RIU of of Southern Mindanao. /Allan Nawal, Inquirer Mindanao