Cebu City cops get new chief

Supt. Melvin Gayotin, who has been acting director of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) for close to three years, has stepped down from his post.

Gayotin's relief may not have come as a surprise to him, but to many city officials, it was.

He will be transferred to the Police Regional Office (PRO)-7 and assuming the post as acting chief is Sr. Supt. Patrocinio Comendador.

Comendador's assumption of the post was however immediately marred by a robbery at a lending firm located along Gorordo Ave., which is just a few hundred meters away from the headquarters of the city police.

Gayotin relinquished his post to Comendador in simple turn-over rites yesterday afternoon.

Comendador's stint as chief of the city's police could be only temporary said Chief supt. Silverio Alarcio, Jr., the PRO-7 director.

Alarcio said that a list of five candidates for the post of city director will be submitted to Mayor Tomas Osmeña.

The mayor has kept Gayotin as acting chief as he turned down the nominees submitted to him by Camp Crame. Gayotin could not assume as city director since he did not meet the requirement of holding the rank of Sr. Supt.

Alarcio said, Gayotin's stay being the acting director of the CCPO has long been overdue. And it is time for him to be assigned outside so as to give him chance to grow and be promoted to the next rank.

"There is no special reason on Gayotin's relief, this is just part of the life of a policeman, it's a routine in our organization...the outgoing officer has done a very good job," Alarcio said.

Robbery

Less than P50,000 was reportedly taken by robbers from the Yusay Credit and Finance Corporation.

Supt. Pablo Labra of the Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Branch and Insp. Michael Anthony Bastes of the Theft and Robbery Section identified the suspects as Ronillo Nuñez and Doroteo Imperial, both from Ozamiz City. The two have reportedly already staged robberies in Metro Cebu.

Five employees including the manager Arthur Apor reportedly identified them upon seeing their pictures from the rogues' gallery.

Perlito Siapoc, the credit inspector appraiser of the firm told The Freeman that he saw one of the suspects get in bringing a backpack that hung near his chest.

The man asked him how he could apply for a loan, but suddenly another man barged in and poked a gun at security guard Wilfredo Punay, 39, of Blue Eye Security and Investigative Agency and seized his .38 caliber revolver.

Labra told reporters that one of the employees recognized Nuñez as the man who came to their office yesterday morning and asked if they have a photocopy machine.

The suspects reportedly used a blue colored Honda Wave motorcycle and escaped towards Escario St. Siapoc tried to chase the suspects with his motorcycle, but lost them and decided to report the incident to the CCPO immediately.

TRS men, who led by Bastes who conducted a follow up operation in pursuit of the suspects as Danao City arrested Nuñez last night in his house near Mitsumi.

The suspect however denied the allegations and police failed to recover anything from him.

Gayotin's Reassignment

Gayotin, who took over the CCPO in April 2004 from Sr. Supt. Cecil Ezra Sandalo, would be assuming Comendador's post as the operations chief of the Regional Investigation and Intelligence Division in the regional headquarters, Alarcio said.

Gayotin is the only acting city police director who have sat at the said office longer than any illegible officers have.

Both officers are products of the Philippine National Police Academy, but Gayotin is one year senior than Comendador. Gayotin graduated in 1984.

Gayotin blamed a case filed against him by a labor group at the Ombdusman as the reason why he could not be promoted.

The case stemmed after he was accused of intervening in a labor dispute between the picketing employees of Holiday Plaza Hotel back in 2005 which he vehemently denied. He claimed that he went there just to ensure that no one will be hurt between the management and the laborers.

Alarcio said, it will be a big challenge for Comendador to hold the CCPO as it is, because under Gayotin's stewarship, the crime volume has decreased considerably and a good relationship with the community was established with his anti-criminality campaign.

It was in Gayotin's term that notorious bank robbery groups were eliminated or neutralized. These were the Rey Torres, Danny Limotan and Dindo Ancero robbery groups.

Gayotin has also initiated several ways to quell robberies in taxis and PUJs by installing the "blue emergency lights" and also introduced the idea to the business sector for their own security.

For his part, Comendador said, he would try to emulate Gayotin's example and would everything he can to outdo his predecessor by introducing new anti-criminality programs.

Comendador said he would use all available resources that the CCPO has and deploy more beat patrollers in the city.

Gayotin told The Freeman that the transfer has nothing to do with politics, this is even some say the official has been observed to be very close to the city mayor.

"Lisod kaayong i-link ko kang mayor (Osmeña) kay si mayor is looking on the performance, I don't think nga gi-relieve ko nila nga wala mag-agi og process, for me ang chance nako to serve Cebu City is more than enough," said Gayotin.

He also does not regret having to leave the CCPO despite 174 unsolved cases of vigilante-style killings "I have no regrets. I believed I have done my best." The city police have actually solved seven cases.

Alarcio explained that the security for the Asean Summit will not be affected because of the transfer since the two officers were both involved in the planning.

Gayotin will be heading the Task Force Billet while Comendador will head the Task Force Cebu City.

Gayotin was awarded the "Medalya ng Kasanayan" during the said ceremony which he gladly accepted.

Both Mayor Tomas Osmeña and Vice Mayor Michael Rama do not oppose Comendador's assumption as city police chief.

Councilor Sylvan Jakosalem said Alarcio and Osmeña had already talked before Alarcio made the announcement of Gayotin's relief yesterday.

Since Comendador is said to have a good track record and is a Cebuano, Osmeña is not opposing his assumption into office.

Rama, on the other hand, admitted having been surprised with the development, but said he respects the change in leadership.