Seven Talisay cops relieved

The seven policemen assigned at the intelligence division of the Talisay City Police earlier accused of accepting money from a suspected drug pusher had been relieved from their posts. The order came from the Police Regional Office-7 and Cebu Provincial Police headquarters.

Ordered relieved were SPO3 Ederick dela Cruz, PO3 Remberto Empeynado, PO3 Alexis Racaza, PO1 Marcino Parayday, SPO4 Reynaldo Vitualia, PO3 Ramil Navarro, and PO1 Archimedes Judilla.

The police officers were relieved effective August 10. No reasons of their reassignment were cited.

The cops expressed disgust over the apparent haste in the issuance of the order without first getting their side of the story.

"What is the basis of our relief? It's all hearsay and we were not given due process to defend ourselves," one of the policemen, who refused to be identified, said.

Last July 1, the police officers reportedly arrested a certain Edna Cabo in a buy-bust operation. She was detained at the police sub-station in barangay Lawa-an but released around 11:20 pm allegedly without the knowledge of acting Talisay police chief Audie Villacin.

Based on the report of Insp. Isagani Abalo, the head of the Lawa-an sub-station, it was Navarro who released Cabo.

Villacin said he was not told of Cabo's release since it was not recorded in the police blotter.

He said he only knew of the incident after getting a memorandum last July 5 from the Cebu Provincial Police Office telling him of the incident. Cabo allegedly paid Navarro P150,000 in exchange for her freedom.

But the policemen said no settlement happened, as no buy-bust operation was conducted. They said they only invited Cabo for questioning because her name was included in the list of suspected drug pushers.

Meanwhile, Vice Mayor Aberdovey Belleza, chairman of the committee on peace and order, together with councilors Osmundo Manreal, Sr. and Rodi Cabigas lambasted the PNP hierarchy citing the failure of the latter to coordinate with them.

"I am not saying that I am defending these police officers, but what I'm trying to say here is that they should coordinate with us. They aren't giving us the respect. How is it that we ask permission from them whenever we need police assistance?" Belleza asked.

Belleza said that National Police Commission Memorandum Circular No. 91-001 cites coordination between the local government and the PNP.