Another OIC takes over Isabela police command

ILAGAN, Isabela — After last week’s relief of two municipal police chiefs apparently over jueteng, a new provincial police director has been named to replace Senior Superintendent Jude Santos, who had reportedly been at odds with local officials for his failure to stamp out the illegal numbers game.

Chief Superintendent Jefferson Soriano, Cagayan Valley police director, said Senior Superintendent Luis Saligumba was appointed as officer-in-charge of the Isabela police pending the appointment of a permanent one.

Soriano, however, clarified that Santos’ relief had nothing to do with jueteng, which he said was stopped under Santos’ three-month watch as OIC.

"He was not relieved for any fault. Only that his three-month term as OIC has ended," he said.

Santos had been under fire from several local officials led by Gov. Grace Padaca herself who perceived him to be weak in ridding the province of jueteng.

Last week, Santos declared Isabela jueteng-free following the relief of Superintendent Felix Dayag and Chief Inspector Roberto Bucagas as police chiefs of Echague and Jones towns, respectively.

But in a press conference last week, Padaca could not hide her displeasure with Santos for allegedly "dilly-dallying" on his campaign against the illegal numbers game.

"I don’t want to rate him," Padaca replied when quizzed about Santos’ performance against jueteng.