4 towns swap police chiefs

CEBU, Philippines - Aside from the swapping of police chiefs in three component cities in Cebu province recently, four towns will also have new police chiefs effective today.

That, as the Central Visayas area is on top three of the list of regions to receive most of the 22,603 pistols President Benigno Aquino III recently distributed.

Cebu Provincial Police Office Director Sr. Supt. Patrocinio Comendador took the initiative to make slight changes even if there was no request yet from the local chief executives of Catmon, Sogod, San Remigio and Daanbantayan.

“Ako na lang ang nipili pero ni coordinate ko sa local chief executive anyway ug dili makauyon ang mayor pwede man ilisan,” Comendador said.

Sr. Insp. Rovic Villarin, chief of the Provincial Public Safety Company (PPSC) is assigned to the Catmon Police Station, formerly headed by Sr. Insp. Alexander Ancao.

Ancao replaces Insp. Anecito Manloloyo as police chief of the San Remigio Police Station.

Sogod police chief, Chief Insp. Randy Naval is also transferred to Daanbantayan Police Station as Chief Insp. Jose Liddawa is moved to the CPPO headquarters.

Deputy chief of Sogod Police Station, SPO4 Reynaldo Branzuela, assumes as officer-in-charge for the meantime.

Comendador said that the transfers were based on the rank of the police officer assigned to a particular police station.

He admitted he needs more policemen with the ranks of superintendent, senior inspector and chief inspector, because the CPPO has more inspectors.

“Sa type A police stations like component cities plus Tuburan kay dako og land area, kinahanglan gyud og superintendent pero okay kuwang man mao nang i-fill in nako ang senior inspector,” Comendador explained.

Recently, Chief Insp. Michael Anthony Bastes, Investigation and Detection Management Branch of the Mandaue City police, was installed as Toledo City police chief replacing Supt. Henry Biñas.

Former Talisay City police chief, Supt. Elmer Lim, now heads the Danao City police replacing Supt. Resty Santos.

Meanwhile, Police Regional Office 7 Director Marcelo Garbo, Jr. personally received the Glock 17 Generation 4 pistols at Camp Crame.

He said Central Visayas will be receiving 1,800 of such firearms.

Cebu City Police Office director Mariano Natu-el, Jr. said that out of the 1,800 firearms, they will get 286.

Natu-el said they will not necessarily hand over the new firearms to policemen who have no guns. This is because the police officers must first pass various tests and orientations on responsible use of firearms and also pass the firearms proficiency test before acquiring the Glock 17 pistols.

“I-base nato sa skills ang paghatag sa mga pistols,” said Natu-el, adding that the distribution of firearms will greatly help the police organization since the PNP lacks guns.

The old firearms will be turned over to the policemen who don’t own guns, he said.

Last Tuesday, President Aquino III led the distribution of 22,603 pistols to Philippine National Police (PNP) officers, with the aim to arm each police officer in the country with a handgun.

The pistols distributed by the President were part of the 74,879 handguns procured by the PNP as part of the P1-billion contract signed last year to fully fill up the handgun requirements of the police force.

The top two regions are the National Capital Region and Region 3. — (FREEMAN)