Thursday, November 03, 2005
Late response prods 2 cops’ transfer
Two policemen from the Minglanilla Police Station were ordered relieved and transferred to the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) headquarters in Sudlon, Barangay Lahug, Cebu City effective yesterday.
The relief of SPO4 Domenciano Sevillano, a desk officer, and SPO1 Jorge Yap, a member of the alert team, was decided because of their alleged failure to immediately respond to a shooting in Sitio Abuno, Tunghaan last Sunday.
Insp. Carlos Reyes, chief of the Minglanilla Police Station, however, will remain in his post pending the results of an administrative investigation.
Tunghaan Councilman Gilbert Cañares and his cousin Antonio Cañares Jr., a former barangay tanod, died after Jun Macaantal of Villa Leyson, Barangay Bacayan, Cebu City allegedly shot them.
The two had accosted Macaantal for driving too fast on a barangay road. Tunghaan was celebrating its fiesta that day.
Supt. Agustin Lloveras, chief of the CPPO administrative division, told reporters yesterday that Reyes is being investigated for his failure to deploy his men when the call for assistance reached his office.
The shooting happened at 1:30 a.m. last Sunday but police allegedly went to the crime scene at 4 a.m.
Human flaw
At the Capitol, Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia was dismayed that the Minglanilla police did not use the new UHF radios the Province had given them so they could have sent word to other police precincts to set up roadblocks.
“It seems that when rapid reaction was required, the human component failed,” Garcia said.
As chairperson of the Regional Peace and Order Council, she said that full disciplinary measures should be meted against those who failed to live up to their responsibilities.
“Basin nagpa-foolish foolish na sila.... They should answer and the full sanctions available under the law should be meted out. (But they) should be given a second chance, after the second chance, no chance. Goodbye,” the governor said.
She also recommended that the police undergo retraining.
At a wake
In a separate interview, Lloveras said they decided not to initiate an investigation against the policemen since the Cañareses, through Tunghaan Barangay Captain Jerry Cañares, earlier announced that they will be filing a complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas against the Minglanilla police.
Lloveras also said that Yap and Sevillano will not be sent to Camotes Island; instead they will report to the Cebu Provincial Police Security and Service Group.
PO3 Sherwin Abellari, who was with Yap in responding to the alarm, was not transferred because he was at the wake of a fellow policeman and went to the crime scene, after Yap called him up for assistance. (JST/MBG)
(November 3, 2005 issue)
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