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Friday, September 19, 2003
Tom orders relief of 3 cops
By Mia E. Abellana
HIS failure to curb video carrera operations in his area of responsibility may cost T. Padilla Police Station Chief Audie Villacin and two of his officers their posts.
Mayor Tomas Osmeña yesterday noon told Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) Director Cecil Ezra Sandalo to carry out the relief and to assign Villacin, Senior Insp. Leonardo Bencito and Insp. Homer Pilario outside Cebu City.
“This serves as a warning to the entire police department,” the mayor warned yesterday.
Osmeña said the police are wrong if they think he won’t crack down on them because the elections is coming. “Sorry, I don’t care,” he said.
“I’m going to weed out the scalawags in the police department. I don’t care if I’m left with boy scouts. At least, they’ll be doing their job,” he added.
T. Padilla Barangay Captain Michael Ralota also said he found Villacin lacked the sincerity in curbing the illegal gambling problem in the community.
But Ralota acknowledged that the police chief did well in minimizing petty crimes and had consistently set up checkpoints to maintain peace and order.
Probe
The Police Coordinating and Advisory Council (PCAC) already asked Association of Barangay Councils president Eugenio Faelnar to investigate the matter.
Ralota said he is recommending the dismissal of one of his tanods, Ruben Intong, after video carrera caretaker Marina Nuez accused him, in a sworn statement, of conniving with the operator.
Stabbing incident
Reports that the illegal gambling operations in Barangay T. Padilla is thriving came after a stabbing incident over a defective video carrera unit occurred just 20 meters from a barangay tanod outpost.
Villacin, Pilario and Bencito will be assigned to the Police Regional Office 7.
Sandalo earlier described Villacin’s performance as “below par” and explained that Villacin, although he worked hard, may not have done the effective thing to curb illegal gambling in his area.
For his part, a morose Villacin emerged from Sandalo’s office and told reporters he did his best.
“Dili man sa ingon nga maayong laki ta, but if I were to assess myself, I know I have done my share,” he said.
He also said it was normal for police officers to be pulled out of an assignment.
“The political leadership of Cebu has spoken. Me, I just wait for orders. When it rains, it pours,” Villacin said.
Social problem
He explained that illegal gambling is a social problem and that it is not the sole job of the police to eradicate it.
Sandalo also said Villacin could not be blamed for lack of effort or enthusiasm.
“Maybe he did not do the proper thing to address the problem and in that way, he failed,” Sandalo said.
Arrests
While he pointed out that the station made several arrests and seizures over the past months, Sandalo believes public perception is still a basis to assess the station’s performance.
For the month of May, the station ranked second in the CCPO’s campaign against illegal gambling.
They were able to arrest one person and confiscate 16 video carrera machines.
As for other non-performing stations, Sandalo is not giving any warnings.
“I already called their attention and they should be on their toes. When it comes, it comes,” he said.
He declined to say which of the 11 precincts are not performing well.
Replacing Villacin on a temporary basis is Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) Chief Senior Insp. Jonathan Abella.
Until the PRO 7 provides a qualified officer, Abella will head the station along with Crime Records Section Chief Insp. Mario Abellana, as his deputy.
Vice Control Section Chief Marvin Sanchez will oversee the operations of the DEU as well as his own unit.
Sandalo said Abella and Abellana will be back to their original assignments as soon as officials expected to return from their schooling arrive to assume their posts at the CCPO.
(September 19, 2003 issue)
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