Police change of command ceremony cancelled

LINGAYEN -- The ceremony set for the turnover of the Pangasinan police provincial director post was cancelled Monday afternoon.

Governor Amado Espino Jr. said he only learned about the scheduled turnover ceremony Sunday evening. The media learned about it in a press conference Monday morning.

The turnover ceremony, set at 3 p.m., was purposely scheduled for outgoing Pangasinan Police Provincial Director Rosueto Ricaforte to turn over his command to Police Senior Superintendent Mariel Maniego Magaway.

Sun.Star learned that before 2 p.m., Police Superintendent Rey Biay from the Police Regional Office-Ilocos administrative office arrived at the Pangasinan Police Provincial Office (PPPO) and informed the administrative office about the cancellation of the turnover ceremony.

At that time, the chiefs of police from the 48 towns and cities were just nearby at the Pangasinan Training and Development Center attending the Integrated Transformation Program-Performance Governance System, which is relative to the Philippine National Police Patrol Plan 2030.

The PPPO, however, could not give an answer as to why it was cancelled. It said its conference room was even set for the activity and a tarpaulin announcing the turnover ceremony was even in place.

Magaway is a member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1986. He is presently assigned at the Directorate for Intelligence at Camp Crame.

His wife, according to reports, is from Barangay Macabito, Calasiao in Pangasinan.

Magaway will replace Ricaforte, who is set to retire from the police service on May 11.

The new police provincial director will be facing three big events in the province. These include the Pangasinan Day or Agew na Pangasinan on April 11, the Pista’y Dayat, which will start on April 11 until May 16, and the Palarong Pamnbansa 2012 scheduled on May 6-12. (Sunnex)