Guara: I am just following orders

SENIOR Superintendent Celestino Guara, officer-in-charge of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (Noppo), clarified that he is just following orders to relieve the nine police chiefs in Negros.

I am just obeying orders, Guara stressed amid observations that the police chiefs recommended for transfer from their present localities are under mayors who are perceived to be supporting incumbent Governor Alfredo Marañon, Jr.

Out of the nine police chiefs recommended for transfer, six localities are identified to be allies of Marañon.

Marañon earlier lamented that even the designation of Guara as Noppo caretaker was not consulted with him, though he is the chief executive of the province.

Guara’s predecessor, Senior Superintendent Milko Lirazan was allegedly identified as pro-Marañon; thus, he was relieved after a short-lived stint replacing former Noppo provincial director Senior Superintendent Alan Guisihan.

Both Lirazan and Guisihan are presently assigned at the Western Visayas Police Regional Office.

When pressed for reaction on the reported complaints from the affected localities, Guara said he cannot do anything except follow orders as the instruction allegedly came “from above”.

He earlier stated that the recommendation to relief the said police chiefs is for the exigency of the police service.

This means, Guara said, that this is to improve police service to the public.

Recommended for transfer through the Commission on Elections are Senior Inspector Arnold Mesias - EB Magalona, Senior Inspector Jason Manguilimutan - Isabela, Senior Inspector Lowell Garinganao - Cauayan, Senior Inspector Mary Rose Pico - Pontevedra, Senior Inspector Hector Balbon - Murcia, Senior Inspector Gary Alan Resuma - La Castellana, InspectorJerry Nacion - San Enrique, Chief Inspector Eduardo Corpus – La Carlota City and Chief Inspector Gabriel Gutierrez - Sagay City.

The six mayors who are identified with Marañon are the chief executives of Sagay City, La Carlota City, San Enrique, La Castellana, Pontevedra and EB Magalona who all have declared support for Marañon’s re-election bid, which is being challenged by Vice Governor Genaro Alvarez.

Guara explained that the proposed relief and transfer of said police officers with the rank of chief inspector to superintendent will be decided by the Comelec Law Department in Metro Manila, while those with the ranks of senior inspector to inspector will be acted upon by the Comelec regional office.

He pointed out that it is possible that it will take time for the Comelec central office to act on the recommendation because of the volume of their work. (Teresa D. Ellera)