Police chief says some guns with cops back with CH

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Police Director Melvin Ramon Buenafe said some police officials formerly assigned at CCPO have already returned the service firearms issued to them by City Hall.

Buenafe said the officials informed him that they returned the guns after learning that they can be charged for malversation of government property if they fail to do so.

“Ang iba nga nag-text sa ako na gibalik na nila ilang armas sa supply office kay nahadlok kuno sila kadtong giingon na pwede sila kasuhan og malversation,” Buenafe said.

City Hall earlier issued a demand letter for police officials who got service firearms from the city government but have been reassigned elsewhere to return the items issued to them.

Chief Insp. Delia Rayoso, head of the Supply and Finance Office, said they have advised the officials to directly return the firearms to the General Services Office (GSO) of City Hall.

“Kay ang City Hall man ang ga-issue directly sa mga personnel, sila man ga-MR (Memorandum Receipt) ana,” Rayoso told The Freeman.

Insp. Allan Cuizon, Insp. Lucia Diaz, and SPO3 Joseph Yongco, now assigned at the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO), have submitted to Rayoso’s office a copy of the property return slip after they returned their guns to GSO.

Buenafe said he tasked Rayoso to help communicate with the other personnel concerned so that the city government could account all the firearms.

“Maglisod ta ug trace sa uban, but we were already given names by the City Hall so nag-follow up mi. Actually, nag-follow up rin sila (Rayoso) sa PRO-7 (Police Regional Office-7) sa uban na wa na diri sa CCPO,” he said.

Buenafe assumed that Mayor Mike Rama is just accounting the city government’s property and is not really recalling the firearms.

PRO-7 Director Ager Ontog said earlier that his headquarter is ready to assist the city government in recalling the service firearms.

Ontog, nevertheless, assured that the Philippine National Police will issue firearms to policemen who will have nothing to use after returning their guns to City Hall. –(FREEMAN)