4 of 5 MM police chiefs sacked over crime rise

MANILA, Philippines - Four of the five police district directors of Metro Manila were relieved yesterday amid rising criminality and controversies hounding the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Relieved were Richard Albano of the Quezon City Police District (QCPD), Rolando Asuncion of the Manila Police District (MPD), Erwin Villacorte of the Southern Police District (SPD) and Edgardo Layug of the Northern Police District (NPD). All four hold the rank of chief superintendent, the equivalent of a one-star general in the military.

Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II accepted the recommendations of National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Director Carmelo Valmoria to replace the police officials.

PNP chief Director General Alan Purisima concurred with the relief of the officials and recommended their replacement.

Albano was replaced by Senior Superintendent Joel Pagdilao, Asuncion by Senior Superintendent Rolando Nana, Villacorte by Chief Superintendent Henry Ranola and Layug by Chief Superintendent Jonathan Ferdinand Miano.

Only Eastern Police District director Chief Superintendent Abelardo Villacorta was retained among district directors in the NCR.

The relief of the four police generals was announced late yesterday afternoon.

In a statement, Roxas said the relief was part of the reinvigorated anti-criminality campaign for Metro Manila.

Malacañang, for its part, said the “new assignments are part of the intensified anti-criminality efforts” being instituted by Roxas in the NCR.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said Roxas “has instituted data- and statistics-based anti-criminality moves patterned after the very succcessful ‘Comstat’ approach during Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s time in New York.”

Roxas, he added, is “installing a deliberate, pragmatic and focused approach to preventing crimes and/or arresting criminals that is not dependent on patsamba (chance).”

Over the last three months, a total of 14 station commanders of the 38 police stations in NCR have been relieved and replaced.

Sources said the decision to relieve the four police officials was due to their failure to make a dent in the anti-crime effort, particularly in robbery and theft cases.

“They have some achievement in the effort to account for wanted persons but they are not consistent in the robbery and theft cases. Ito ang mga kaso na malapit sa sikmura ng bawa’t Pilipino (These are the cases that most affect the average Filipino),” the source said.

In a report to Roxas last month, Valmoria said there were 605 crime cases recorded from Aug. 25 to 31, which is lower than the 692 crime incidents from Aug.18 to 24 and 757 cases from Aug. 11 to 17.

Valmoria attributed the improving peace and order situation to the new strategy in the anti-crime campaign and increased police visibility in the streets.

Despite the decline in crime incidents, Roxas instructed the PNP to reach out to the community and civic organizations in the fight against crime.

Roxas also directed Valmoria to sustain the downtrend of criminal activities in Metro Manila.

Valmoria said incidents of murder also dropped from 38 cases from Aug. 11 to 17 to 32 incidents from Aug. 25 to 31.

“Deployment of police trainees in blue shirts is a big boost in the anti crime measures, it helps deter crimes,” Roxas said.