Five Cebu police officials off to rebel-infested spots in Mindanao

CEBU CITY-Five police officials in Cebu were relieved from their respective posts and were sent to rebel-influenced areas in northern Luzon and Mindanao.

Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa ordered the immediate transfer of Supt. Rex Derilo, Supt. George Ylanan, Supt. Teofilo Siclot, Supt. Marvin Sanchez, and Supt. Rodolfo Albotra.

The July 15 order from Camp Crame does not explain the reason for the relief.

But during his command visit at Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) last Monday, Dela Rosa hinted that the revamp of policemen in the region was because of reports that some of them were receiving money from personalities involved in illegal drugs.

“We have to pull out some policemen and relocate them to disrupt their illegal operations,” he said.

He added that the services of the relieved officers are badly needed in areas where terrorists and gun-for-hire groups operate.

Derilo, who last week was designated head of the Regional Logistics Division, is heading to Zamboanga Peninsula.

For years, Derilo served as chief of the Regional Intelligence Division. He and Ylanan led the team who killed Central Visayas’ top drug personality Jeffrey “Jaguar” Diaz in Las Piñas City last June 17.

Ylanan, chief of the Regional Special Operations Group (RSOG) and deputy director for operations of the Cebu City Police Office, is being transferred to northern Mindanao.

Last week, Chief Supt. Noli Taliño, the PRO-7 director, ordered the mass relief of all 67 operatives of the Regional Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force (RAIDSOTF) and the RSOG despite neutralizing Diaz and another suspected drug lord Rowen “Yawa” Secretaria.

Twenty-five of them were transferred to Luzon and Manila, while the rest await the orders from Camp Crame.

Camp Crame also ordered the transfer of Siclot from the Regional Headquarters Support Group to Cagayan Valley Region.

Sanchez, chief of the Firearms Explosives Security Service Agency and Guards Supervisory Section (Fessags-7) will be sent to the Cordillera Region, while Albotra, head of the Provincial Intelligence Branch, is going to the Caraga Adminstrative Region in Mindanao.

Taliño said the relief of the five police superintendents is part of the major revamp implemented by the PNP from top to bottom.

“As the PNP chief said we need to clear doubts. I’m not saying those relieved officers are involved in illegal drugs trade. We just need to fix the organization,” he said.