31 Negros Occidental cop chiefs relieved from posts

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines – All police chiefs in the 12 cities and 19 towns of Negros Occidental were relieved from their posts effective yesterday pending evaluation of their performance, Senior Superintendent Allan Guisihan, police provincial director, said.

Guisihan issued special orders designating officers-in-charge for the vacated positions, while the police chiefs are reassigned to the provincial police headquarters to undergo “re-orientation, retraining, and evaluation of their performance.”

Chief Superintendent Cipriano Querol Jr., regional police director, approved the relief orders, and Gov. Alfredo Maranon Jr. supported the move, Guisihan said.

Guisihan said the move was prompted by the dismal performance of several police chiefs in the campaign against illegal gambling, while some of them had already overstayed in their positions.

He said he wanted to give the young and junior police officers a chance to prove their worth by appointing them as new police chiefs.

Guisihan has formed an evaluation and screening committee to assess the performance of the police chiefs.

The committee is composed of himself, E. B. Magalona Mayor David Albert Lacson, president of both the Association of Chief Executives and League of Municipalities; a representative of the governor’s office; board member Renato Gustilo; Superintendent Leo Irwin Agpangan, provincial deputy police director for administration; and Chief Inspector Regidor Alvarado, administrative branch chief.

As soon as the evaluation is finished, police chiefs found to have performed well may be assigned back to their posts, provided that they are not overstaying.

In case of new appointments, Guisihan said he would submit three nominees from which the mayor would make his choice.

The reshuffle has drawn both support and opposition from the mayors.

Kabankalan City Mayor Isidro Zayco and Valladolid Mayor Romel Yogore insisted that their respective police chiefs had performed well.

Don Salvador Mayor Marxlen de la Cruz, for his part, said he supports Guisihan’s move “in his quest to stop illegal gambling.”

“Let us give him a chance to do his job,” he said.

Isabela Mayor Francis Malabor said his police chief was overstaying and had performed below par. “I cannot tolerate illegal gambling here in Isabela,” he said.