Capa heads Cebu city police
Capa
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama is not going to hold on to Sr. Supt. Noli Romana, who considers his sudden removal from his post as Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) director a promotion.
In the meantime, Sr. Supt. Conrad Capa will take over as officer in charge at the CCPO.
Capa met with Mayor Rama yesterday and said he would oversee the city police force in his concurrent capacity as deputy regional director for operation in the Police Regional Office 7.
Mayor Rama and Romana met at the Senior Citizens Park near City Hall earlier yesterday. Seated on a park bench, they talked about Romana’s reassignment to the Civil Security Group in Camp Crame.
“Of course I’ll let go. I won’t block something that is considered a promotion,” the mayor said.
He said it would be unfair to consider Romana’s transfer as being “sacked” from office because Romana would assume a higher position in Camp Crame.
Romana said he welcomed his new assignment as the highest position he has held so far in his police career.
There was unofficial word that Romana would be named deputy director for operations of the CSG.
“I’m ready. It’s a promotion. When the opportunity comes, I have to grab it,” Romana said.
The reassignment is part of the PNP’s “organizational changes,” with over 47 generals retiring this month and on January.
Romana served as Cebu city police chief for one year and four months.
Asked what his greatest achievement was, he replied, “Being the Cebu City director in itself is a big achievement. It’s an honor for me to be chosen by the mayor and win his trust and confidence. It’s a great honor for me to serve the people of Cebu city.”
Mayor Rama gets to choose the next police chief from a list of candidates to be given by Camp Crame.
Romana said his transfer indicates that he was effective as Cebu city police chief.
“I’m very happy with the promotion. That is a very rare opportunity with the developments in Camp Crame. Maganda na rin na naka-singit ako dun sa mga changes. That kind of opportunity will only come once,” said Romana.
He said the post at the Civil Security Group was a “dream come true.”
But if given the chance to choose an assignment, Romana said he would still pick Cebu City.
“I’m looking forward to returning in a higher capacity here in Region 7. Just as I’ve often said before, if I retire, I would like to retire in Cebu City, which is an ideal place, one of the most liveable in Asia,” Romana said.
He started clearing his office yesterday morning.
Romana’s reassignment order bore the names of deputy director general Marcelo Garbo Jr. and director for personnel and records management Jaime Morente, but only Morente’s signature was on the document.
Garbo was PRO 7 chief in Cebu during the tense two-month standoff at the Capitol, where then Cebu governor Gwen Garcia holed herself up in her office until January 2013, refusing to serve a suspension order.
Garbo openly expressed his disapproval of Romana as incoming Cebu city police chief and appointed Senior Supt. Mariano Natu-el Jr. as OIC even if Mayor Rama lobbied for Romana. The mayor got his way in the end.
Yesterday, Rama refused to give a categorical comment when asked about Garbo’s role in Romana’s transfer.
“He’s (Garbo) a signatory. I also don’t want to insinuate. But the document is there, it won’t lie. You be the judge what’s the role of these people,” he said.
Romana yesterday said he would continue to help the city in preparing for typhoon Ruby. He has one week to do exit calls before reporting in Manila.
Meanwhile, Capa assured that he would be an active Cebu city police chief.
“I’m very hands on. The people will be seeing a lot of me,” he said, adding that he has zero tolerance for incompetence and corruption in the police force.
Before his Cebu assignment, Capa headed Task Force Tugis that arrested alleged housing scammer Delfin Lee.
Capa figured in the national news last April after President Aquino scolded him for “complaining” about his transfer to the provincial post. Capa had commented that with his Visayas assignment it would take him longer to reach the equivalent of a one-star general.
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