Naga police chief defends absence

CEBU, Philippines - A city police chief who was found to have abandoned his station during the All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days defended his absence saying that he was on official business in Albay.

   No less than Police Regional Office-7 director Danilo Constantino discovered that Naga City police chief Eduardo Saavedra was not in his post when the former conducted a surprise inspection.

Saavedra told The FREEMAN that he already sent his explanation to the headquarters even though he had an approved travel order from the Cebu Provincial Police Office and the PRO-7.

“Dili to lulinghayaw akoa, didto ko kay duna koy gi-asikaso,” Saavedra said in a phone interview.

Saavedra said his travel order for Albay to attend a hearing was approved a week before the long weekend. Constantino questioned why Saavedra failed to come back after his hearing in Albay.

Saavedra explained that he was forced to take the land trip because all planes and vessels were fully-booked at that time.  

From Legaspi City, Saavedra travelled to Sorsogon then to Samar and Leyte. From there, he then took a vessel for Ubay, Bohol and boarded a fast craft for Cebu. He arrived in Cebu City on November 2 around 7 a.m.

“Pero ga-sige mi og tawganay ni PD (Sr. Supt. Noel Gillamac) ug ni Digal (Sr. Supt. Erson),” he said.

Constantino questioned why Saavedra was not around in his police station when he conducted inspection last November 1. (FREEMAN)