New Cabanatuan cop chief quits due to mayor’s protest

CABANATUAN CITY — This city’s new police chief went down in the record books as having served the shortest period — just one day.

This, after Superintendent Eliseo Cruz resigned a day after assuming his post on Labor Day (May 1) when Mayor Julius Cesar Vergara opposed his appointment which was reportedly made without the latter’s prior consent.

Cruz, who replaced Senior Superintendent Jesus Gordon Descanzo, resigned after Vergara withdrew his support for the city police by recalling all the vehicles which the city government had donated.

Vergara made the move to protest the failure of Senior Superintendent Alex Paul Monteagudo, Nueva Ecija police director, to consult him on Cruz’s appointment.

The vehicles, which Vergara recalled, included 35 Suzuki motorcycles, eight Toyota patrol cars and seven Mitsubishi jeeps, which the city government had turned over since 1998 when Vergara became mayor.

The overwhelming support extended by the Vergara administration enabled the city police to bag the National Police Station of the Year award (urban category) in 1998.

"Nag-give way na ako para maibalik ni mayor ’yung suporta sa PNP (I gave way so the mayor would return his support to the PNP). Anyway, I’m just an OIC," Cruz, chief of the Provincial Special Operations Group, told The STAR.

Descanzo was relieved as city police chief effective May 1 and was reassigned to the Regional Headquarters Service Group based at Camp Olivas in Pampanga.

Cruz was subsequently named OIC of the city police and took over last May 1. This reportedly took Vergara by surprise since he was not properly informed about it; he was out of town that day, a nationwide holiday.

In protest, Vergara declared that he was withdrawing his support for the police and recalled the donated vehicles.

The STAR tried to contact Vergara but he could not be reached. City Hall employees said he was taking a rest after undergoing an operation.

But sources said Vergara withdrew his support for the Cabanatuan police after Monteagudo failed to grant his request to defer Cruz’s assumption by two weeks.

"Gusto na rin sana ni Mayor Vergara si Cruz (Mayor Vergara would have liked Cruz anyway). All he was asking Col. Monteagudo was to defer Cruz’s takeover as new station commander to May 16 but it was not granted. He was very frustrated," one of the sources said.

It was not immediately known why Vergara had sought the deferment of Cruz’s assumption of the post.

The National Police Commission (Napolcom) designated Descanzo’s deputy, Chief Inspector Miguelito San Pedro, as OIC following Cruz’s decision to quit.

In a memorandum, Senior Superintendent Alfredo Caballes, Napolcom’s Central Luzon head, instructed Monteagudo to submit a list of five nominees for city police chief.

Cruz, a member of Philippine Military Academy’s Class 1990, returned to his post as PSOG commander and director of the 308th Provincial Mobile Group.

He declined to issue further statements, saying only Monteagudo can speak about the matter.

"Mabuti pa siya na lang ang kausapin ninyo (It’s better that you talk to him)," he said.

San Pedro, who presided over the turnover ceremonies last May 1, said he was not interested in the post.

"I am not that interested because I know there are many more qualified officers than me. I hope this issue would be resolved soon," he said.