Salinas out of IPPO, police service

CEBU, Philippines – Senior Superintendent Cornelio Salinas was officially dismissed from police service, and the Philippine National Police had designated Superin-tendent Norberto Delmas as officer in charge of the Iloilo Police Provincial Office effective Monday.

Delmas, the IPPO deputy director, will temporarily take over the IPPO from Salinas, according to Chief Superintendent Bernardo Diaz, director of the Police Regional Office-6, who confirmed he already served the dismissal order to Salinas on November 9, after receiving it on the evening of November 5.

“In as much as we are saddened by this development, we have to appoint an OIC because there’s so much of work to do,” said Diaz, adding that he might meet with Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Sr. to talk on the IPPO leadership, including the governor’s preference for its next director.

Two officials are now being groomed to replace Salinas: Senior Superintendents John Mitchell Jamili and Remus Zacarias Canieso.

Salinas, along with 19 other police officials and civilian officers, were recently ordered dismissed from service over an alleged irregularity in the procurement of motorized rubber boats in 2009.

Aside from Salinas, the Office of the Ombudsman also dismissed Chief Superin-tendents Reynaldo Rafal, Rizaldo Tungala Jr. and Asher Dolina; Senior Superin-tendents Ferdinand Yuson, Nepomuceno Magno Corpus Jr., Thomas Abellar, Rico Payonga, Alex Sarmiento, and Aleto Jeremy Mirasol.

The Ombudsman also dismissed Superintendents Michael Amor Filart, Job Marasigan, and Leodegario Visaya; Chief Inspectors Juanito Estrebor and Renelfa Saculles; and Police Officer 3 Avensuel Dy.

Others who were dismissed for grave misconduct and gross neglect of duty were Superintendent Henry Duque and PNP Accounting Division Chief Antonio Retrato, while Chief Superintendent George Piano and COA Auditor for the PNP Jaime Sañares were dismissed for gross neglect of duty.

Besides their dismissal, they would be slapped with accessory penalties of perpetual disqualification from reemployment in the government service, forfeiture of retirement benefits, and cancellation of civil service eligibility. They would also be charged for graft because of the anomalous deal in the procurement of 16 patrol boats worth P4.54 million.

Salinas and the rest of the officials have filed a motion for reconsideration and a temporary restraining order at the Court of Appeals over their dismissal. However, even earlier, Salinas did not expect much he would be back in service.

After 31 years of police service and with only five years before his retirement, Salinas said already foresaw that the Ombudsman’s decision was “the end” of his career.  (FREEMAN)