FOUR days after the attempt on the life of Daanbantayan Mayor Vicente Loot, the town’s police chief was relieved.
Senior Supt. Manuel Javier Abrugena, the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) director, said they are looking at Senior Insp. Irish Delim’s possible lapses in connection to the ambush in New Maya Port last May 13.
Loot and his wife Maria Luisa, former Daanbantayan mayor, questioned Delim’s failure to assign police officers to secure the port.
Delim said she did, but the attack happened when she was about to conduct an accounting of personnel, including the augmentation force.
When asked if Delim committed lapses, Abrugena, in a phone interview, said: “We cannot determine yet.”
Abrugena said the Special Investigation Task Group Maya is “more or less” looking into Delim’s lapses.
Delim’s relief took effect last May 17. She was reassigned to the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) headquarters in Barangay Lahug, Cebu City as its finance and logistics officer.
She was replaced by Senior Insp. Adrian Nalua, the former police chief of San Fernando town, who was replaced by Senior Insp. Arvi Arbuis.
Delim said she is fine with her new assignment as she is pregnant with her third child. She said that being relieved is part of the job, adding that she had told the mayor last February that she would vacate her post as she planned to enter “mandatory schooling” for officers, but it did not push through.
“Sa tingin ko lang (I think), I’m in a better situation now,” Delim said yesterday.
Abrugena said that Delim’s relief was a “routinary realignment” of CPPO personnel.
The police official said they are weighing the police chiefs’ performances for future realignment.
Loot and members of his family were ambushed by unidentified armed men while disembarking from a pumpboat at the New Maya Port in Barangay Maya last May 13.
In a related development, Provincial Board (PB) Member Sun Shimura changed his mind about delivering a privilege speech during the PB’s regular session yesterday after learning about Delim’s relief.
Shimura said he was going to talk about her failure to provide police presence at the New Maya Port and to question her for failing to implement the election gun ban, which was in effect at that time.
Shimura, who is the stepson of Loot, instead passed a proposed resolution urging the Police Regional Office 7 and the CPPO to put up a 24-hour police outpost in every port in the province.
Aside from worrying about his family’s security, Shimura said he is also worried that the incident might affect the town’s tourism.
Shimura, who was present at the attack, said that foreign nationals who were in another pumpboat witnessed the whole incident.
Meanwhile, Loot yesterday reiterated his willingness to step down as mayor if that’s the only way to stop his political opponents from reporting lies to the President.
“I repeat, I am not a drug lord, and I am not a protector of a drug lord. God knows about it. I am a mayor trying my best to serve my constituents. If only the President will hear my side personally, I will tell him the truth,” Loot said.
He said his political opponents used a fake Facebook account called “Kababayan sa Daanbantayan” administered by trollers who attacked him, and spread lies about him.
Loot defeated Dioscoro Corro, brother of Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza. Corro used to be a member of the Liberal Party before joining PDP-Laban.
“If the President will just give me a chance to explain, I am willing to step down as mayor. But who will replace me, his political critics? I will abide with the decision of my political superiors just to give everybody a peace of mind,” Loot said.
In the meantime, Loot said he will stay as mayor until he clears himself of the accusations.
“God knows I haven’t done anything. I can assure all people that not even a small portion of illegal drugs has been brought to my house,” Loot said.
The mayor admitted seeking the help of Fourth District Rep. Benhur Salimbangon and Third District Rep. Gwen Garcia, who are both close to the President, but they said they could only do so much.
“It should be the media who will ask them about it,” Loot said. (KAL, JKV, EOB)