Tuesday, June 05, 2007 Gillamac returns to post in Sibonga
THOUGH his stint as police chief of the Lapu-Lapu City Police Station was short, Supt. Noel Gillamac said he it was a good experience working there.
Gillamac, who turned over his duties to Supt. Louie Oppus yesterday, will be returning to his old post as deputy of the Regional Mobile Group (RMG) 7 based in Sibonga town.
This was after Camp Crame’s Directorate for Personnel and Resource Management sent an order dated Friday ordering them to reinstate Oppus as chief of the Lapu-Lapu City Police Station.
Acting Lapu-Lapu Mayor Norma Patalinjug welcomed Oppus’ return to his post.
Before the elections, she asked for Oppus’ transfer amid reports that the police official might be biased in favor of her political rival.
“Since election is over, I welcome him back to his post,” she said.
A simple turnover ceremony was held inside acting Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) Director Carmelo Valmoria’s office yesterday morning.
“Bisag one month lang ko, it was very challenging because it was during the elections. I think okay sad, it was a good experience for me,” Gillamac told reporters.
Happy, sad
Oppus, for his part, admitted he did not know if he is happy or sad about the order.
“It’s a challenge being assigned in Lapu-Lapu City. It’s an urbanized city and therefore a bigger responsibility,” he said.
He only hopes that cooperation between the police, the local government and the community will continue “for the good of Lapu-Lapu City.”
Valmoria said that aside from Oppus, the other police chiefs who were relieved from their posts before the elections will also be reinstated once the election period ends on June 14.
“The policy of relieving the police chiefs who have served for more than two years was purposely for the election period,” he said.
Valmoria noted that election officers who were earlier reassigned before the elections are reinstated to their previous assignments.
He said this was done to get rid of perceptions that police chiefs who have been in their posts for more than two years hold biases for the incumbent officials who are seeking reelection or other positions.
He said Oppus’ reinstatement was done earlier because Commissioner-In-Charge for Western and Central Visayas Resureccion Borra already sent an order nullifying an earlier directive relieving Oppus from Lapu-Lapu City.
En banc
Borra’s order was held in abeyance last month because they wanted to clarify with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc if this should be implemented. It was the Comelec en banc that issued Oppus’ first relief order last April 30.
Once the new mayors assume their posts come June 30, Valmoria said they will begin sending a list of five names to them so they can choose new police chiefs.
Valmoria said that in the short time Gillamac was head of the Lapu-Lapu City Police Station, he was able to arrest two robbery suspects responsible for a heist pulled at the Mactan-Export Processing Zone.
He also acknowledged the checkpoints conducted “contributed to the successful conduct of the elections.”
For now, Oppus said he will pay a courtesy call to Mayor Patalinghug and then make a reassessment of the current programs of the Lapu-Lapu City Police Station.
People at the police station welcomed Oppus’ return.
Marieta Fernandez, a non-uniform police personnel, said “Maayo man gun na siya,” she said referring to “knowledge of work” the police chief imparted to all his men.
Homicide investigator SPO2 Rolito Jumaoas is also happy on Oppus’ return.
“Maayo siya modaa og tawo,” was how he described the chief.
He said Oppus is only strict to those who are inept and those who have irregularities in their duties. (MEA/OCP)
