TALINO
A WEEK after he assumed the helm of the Police Regional Office (PRO-7), Chief Supt. Noli Taliño reshuffled five senior officials and sacked seven police officers found to have tested positive for drug use.
“It’s not that the concerned police officials made some infractions. We just want them to experience other functions to make them well-rounded policemen,” said Senior Supt. Rey Lyndon Lawas, deputy director for operations of PRO-7.
Lawas said they are also evaluating police officials to find out who can really deliver.
From the Regional Intelligence Division, Supt. Rex Derilo was transferred to the Logistics Division. He was replaced by Supt. Julian Entoma.
Named new chief of the Regional Operations and Plans Division was Senior Supt. Mariano Batiancela Jr., while Supt. Alet Virtucio is the new Police Community Relations head.
Supt. Clarito Baja is the new chief of the Regional Headquarters Security and Service Group.
Senior Supt. Renato Dugan and Supt. Henry Biñas remain chiefs of the Regional Personnel and Human Resource Development Division, and Regional Investigation and Detective Management Branch respectively.
Meanwhile, the seven relieved policemen were assigned to the Regional Holding and Administrative Unit pending an administrative investigation, Taliño said.
“They can contest the findings but I’ll make sure they get dismissed from service,” he said during his speech after the flag-raising ceremony at the PRO-7 headquarters in Cebu City yesterday.
The seven policemen were assigned in the cities of Mandaue and Carcar, Bohol, the towns of Dalaguete, San Remigio, and Dumanjug in Cebu, and the Regional Headquarters Support Group.
The names of the seven policemen holding ranks of Police Officer 1 to Police Officer 3 were withheld pending the result of the administrative investigation.
Another officer of the Highway Patrol Group (HPG) also tested positive of illegal drugs but another unit of government is investigating him.
So far, 4,000 of the 7,700 personnel of PRO-7 or 40 percent have underwent drug test as part of the “internal cleansing” within the police force.
The rest, including PO2 Ronjie Nadorra who was arrested in a drug den in Toledo City last Saturday, would also undergo the same procedure.
Taliño called on erring policemen to stop their involvement in illegal drugs.
“In the fight against illegal drugs, no one will be spared because if there’s one or two policemen who are into drugs, we won’t be successful in this campaign,” he said.
The former Special Action Force chief said there will be a regular drug test for all all policemen in the region to make sure they have the moral ascendency to serve and protect the people.
He advised policemen to ponder and revisit their roles; otherwise it’s better for them to leave the Philippine National Police. Senior Supt. Lawas said the police officers who were found positive of drugs shall be asked to answer the accusations against them as part of due process.
Lawas said PO2 Nadorra shall also face an investigation./With UP Cebu Intern Patrick Byron G. Gattoc