Biano pushes for ouster of top two police officials

Mandaue City opposition councilor Victor Biano is bent on pursuing the approval of a resolution seeking for the ouster from post of Mandaue City Police Office director Rodel Calungsud and his deputy director for administration Vicente Mersan Premne.

Biano yesterday said he will first have to make sure that majority of the city councilors will present in their Wednesday session so that his resolution will be approved.

Vice Mayor Carlo Fortuna is currently in the States, and Biano said he might be the one to preside the session on Wednesday if city councilor Procopio Villanueva is also absent.

Biano admitted doubt he would get the right number of councilors on Wednesday but he confirmed that the opposition-dominated council had already approved in principle the relief of Calungsud and Premne.

The proposed relief of the two police officials has something to do with the arrest of Dr. Paulus Cañete, former president of Mandaue City College, two weeks ago, said Biano, who insisted that Cañete’s arrest was a frame-up.

Biano said that although Premne was the one who supervised the operation against Cañete, Calungsud must be included also by virtue of command responsibility. Calungsud was also the one who presented Cañete to the media after the arrest, said the councilor. 

There were other accusations that Biano raised against Calungsud. Among these are the latter’s alleged use of the SWAT for “ordinary” operations, and in sending them to the MCC when this was padlocked last month, allegedly upon orders of Mayor Jonas Cortes.

The presence of SWAT men, with their long firearms, inside the school had scared the students who then taking their summer classes, said Biano.

Both Biano and Fortuna believed that Cañete, who was also accused of plotting the assassination of Cortes, has been a victim of a frame-up to discredit him against a possible reinstatement to the top post of the controversial MCC.

Cortes, for his part, wanted Calungsud and Premne to stay on their current posts, saying there has been no need to replace them because he has been satisfied with their performance.

The mayor even commended the city police for a job well done in foiling the alleged attempt of Cañete’s group to steal the MCC documents, and the plot to kill him.

Majority of the city’s barangay captains have also signed a manifesto last week commending the city police, under the leadership of Calungsud, for a good performance.

Banilad barangay captain Glenn Bercede said the village chiefs have supported the police and denounced the accusations hurled against the police officials and their operatives who arrested Cañete. — Flor Z. Perolina/RAE