Doria wants to leave CCPO for higher post

CEBU, Philippines — Senior Superintendent Joel Doria has expressed his intention to seek higher office once his two-year term as director of Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) expires in July.

But he also has stressed that he would welcome whatever the decision of Camp Crame would be.

No less than Chief Superintendent Debold Sinas, head of Police Regional Office in Central Visayas, confirmed that Doria is eyeing to land a new and higher position.

“Joel is good, but he is already asking for the next rank, kasi sometimes pag na-extend ka, you miss the opportunity to be given the higher ranks. Mao lang to akoa,” Sinas told reporters yesterday.

Sinas said he has not recommended anyone to succeed Doria since he is still new to his post, having only taken Central Visayas police leadership last June 4.

He said whether Doria will stay or not is the discretion of the Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters in Camp Crame.

Doria is expected to end his mandatory two-year stay as CCPO director in July.

“If the Camp Crame will extend it, I am very welcome. Honestly, wala koy kaila diri, so I have not yet recommended anybody. I’ll just wait kung kinsa i-assign sa Camp Crame,” Sinas said.

PNP rules provide that a police officer who has served two years in a position must assume a higher office befitting to his rank and accomplishments as part of the police’s so-called “ladderized” career system.

PNP Director General Oscar Albayalde, who was in Cebu last week, said Doria’s stay may be extended if there would be no available post fit for his rank and career.

Should that happen, Sinas said, it won’t be the first time a commander extends in his designation.

“Naa na’y nahitabo nga i-extend, peculiar cases, pareha ingon ana. Depende pud sa higher headquarters,” he said.

For his part, Doria said he would be willing to serve the police in whatever capacity. However, he pointed out that after a cop’s stint as city director, the next logical option would be to become part of the regional command staff.

“Anytime okay naman tayo considering na nakapag-serve na tayo, so hintayin natin yung order kung sino papalit. Kung saan tayo kailangan magse-serve tayo. (But) dapat din natin isipin na kailangan natin ng other career. Dito sa Cebu City we have done our best to do some police operations,” he said.

Doria admitted that there is still a lot of work to do to completely rid Cebu City from illegal drugs, despite regular operations against all forms of criminality dubbed as Oplan Pokemon, which is one of his banner programs.

“Oplan Pokemon will continue, and hopefully ma-clear na natin (ang Cebu City). Hindi ma-consider na drug-free considering marami pa talagang dapat gawin dito sa Cebu City,” he said. —/JMD (FREEMAN)