Major revamp continues in Metro Cebu, provincial police

MORE police chiefs in the province of Cebu and in the cities of Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu, and Cebu were relieved of their respective posts Wednesday.

Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa issued the order as part of the major revamp of police officers nationwide.

Among those relieved were Senior Supt. Clifford Gairanod of the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO), Senior Supt. Benjamin Santos of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), Senior Supt. Jonathan Cabal of the Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO), and Senior Supt. Arnel Libed of Lapu-Lapu City Police Office (LCPO).

While waiting for further instructions, the four police officials were directed to report to the Police Holding Accounting Unit in Camp Crame.

Chief Supt. Noli Taliño, director of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7), said major revamps were implemented from the national police headquarters to the lower units.

“The PNP leadership is really serious about putting new set of officers to key positions to achieve our objectives,” he said.

Senior Supt. Joel Doria, former chief of the Pasay City police, was appointed new director of the CCPO, while Senior Supt. Jose Macanas, former head of the Highway Patrol Group in Central Visayas, was named new CPPO director.

Dela Rosa also named Senior Supt. Roberto Alanas of the San Juan Police the new director of MCPO while Senior Supt. Romel Cabagnot, former provincial director of Samar, is the new head of LCPO.

The Bohol Provincial Police Office will also have its new director today, Senior Supt. Felipe Natividad who replaces Senior Supt. Dennis Agustin.

Taliño reshuffled five senior officers who are holding key positions in the region last Monday.

He also ordered the relief of all 67 operatives of the Regional Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force (RAIDSOTF) and the Regional Special Operations Group (RSOG), saying they need to try other police units.

Taliño said rotation of assignments is part of the changes he wanted to implement but he also hinted at his dissatisfaction over the performances of the operatives who killed two prominent drug personalities only a month before President Rodrigo Duterte assumed office.

Both the RSOG and RAIDSOTF heads and operatives faced accusations of a rubout in killing suspected drug lords Rowen “Yawa” Secretaria on Banacon Island in Bohol last May 28, and Jeffrey “Jaguar” Diaz in Las Pinas City last June 17.

The affected operatives currently underwent refresher courses to reorient themselves with the “basics” of police work. The five-day Balik Eskwela program started yesterday and will last for a week.

The Cebu City Police Office recently reported that it got nine of the top 10 drug personalities on its list. Six of them were arrested, two surrendered, one was killed in an operation, while one remains at large.

But the PRO-7 director said he’s unsatisfied with the accomplishments of police officers in the entire region.

“When I arrived here (last July 4), I was really disappointed with the report on the police’s campaign against illegal drugs. We gave our station chiefs a week to do something. Some reacted but in general nakukulangan pa rin ako (I’m still unsatisfied),” Taliño told reporters yesterday.

Within the week, the Performance Evaluation Team or the Oversight Committee headed by Senior Supt. Rey Lyndon Lawas, PRO-7 deputy director for operations, will be submitted its recommendations.

“If I need to order the relief of the police chiefs, I will,” Taliño said.