The relief of Bermido, known to be close to former Mayor Ricardo Papa, put an end to his more than three years in his post, where he survived charges of failure to curb illegal gambling and illegal drugs in the town through the years.
Bermido‘s relief was expected after the victory of newly sworn-in Mayor Freddie Tinga over the weekend, but the NCRPO denied politics was involved, saying that it was just a "regular staff movement."
For his part, Tinga also denied that he was behind the police chief’s relief but admitted that he was for Bermido’s removal from his post saying that the police officer’s tenure as commander of the police force had proved inefficient and unproductive.
Tinga stressed that he had witnessed the brazen partisanship of the police chief during the just concluded elections when Bermido led the police force like it was a private army of Papa.
Bermido was replaced by Superintendent Reynaldo Fernando who was plucked from the NCRPO staff. – Rainier Allan Ronda