Loot to sue Digal over cops' transfer

CEBU, Philippines - Daanbantayan Mayor Ma. Luisa Loot is willing to file a case against Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) Director Erson Digal if the Daanbantayan Police Station will receive the formal order pulling out six of their police officers.

Loot called as harassment and abuse of authority Digal’s act of pulling out right then and there their police personnel.

She said she will file the case at the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas as soon as they receive the order.

“Siya na man nuon ang magbuot without informing me as the local chief executive of Daanban-tayan,” he told The Freeman.

But Digal said that while the operational control over police stations is under the local government unit, the administrative control is under the provincial director.

He added that he was directed by the R1 Office and approved by Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 Director Ager Ontog to transfer police officers to other stations that lack personnel.

“I was directed by R1 to explain why in some police stations wa kaabot ug 21 ang personnel unya ang uban nanobra ra,” he said.

R1 Chief Mariano Batiancela affirms that there should be not less than 21 personnel in each police station in the province as required by Camp Crame and the National Police Commission (Napolcom).

“It is up to the provincial director kung unsaon niya pagdiskarte basta there should be no police station having less than 21 personnel,” he told The Freeman.

Daanbantayan has 27 policemen but so far, only SPO2 Nero Mansanares and PO3 Mario Versoza received a message from the CPPO.

The six personnel will be transferred to the police stations of Medellin and San Remegio.

Loot said that their 27 personnel are not even enough to serve the 67,000 people of her municipality, making it hard for them to respond an alarm.

As a first class municipality, she said, they should have enough personnel.

“Naa koy prinsipyo sorry na lang jud, asawa ko’g pulis I know the feeling nga malayo,” she said.

Digal also said that he will also issue an order to transfer some members of the Provincial Public Safety Unit to satisfy the requirement from Camp Crame and Napolcom.

“I respect mayor Loot and her husband as my superior but trabaho ra ning ako,” he said. (FREEMAN)