POLICE Regional Office (PRO) 7 Director Robert Quenery was relieved and transferred.
He was replaced yesterday by Chief Supt. Debold Sinas, former chief of the crime laboratory in Camp Crame.
Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Oscar Albayalde had announced a major reshuffle in the organization.
“Well, we have a new Chief PNP. He’s a very good officer. A top disciplinarian. It is within his authority to form his own team. Pagbigyan natin siya (It’s his prerogative),” said Acting Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año.
Quenery replaced Chief Supt. Jose Espino as PRO 7 director last January.
Año also clarified that some police officials were due for transfer because they had been at their post for almost two years.
“So it was not a total revamp,” he said.
He said that the recent development will not affect the administration’s campaign against illegal drugs and crimes.
“Our anti-drugs units were somehow not affected by the reshuffle so I don’t see any disruption or any effect on our anti-drugs and anti-criminality efforts,” he said in Tagalog.
The DILG official said that he trusts and supports Albayalde as the new PNP chief.
Meanwhile, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña said he has no problems with Quenery’s relief and transfer.
But if the reshuffle affects Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) Director Joel Doria next, he said police operations in the city will be affected.
CCPO’s initiative to launch Oplan Pokemon paved the way for Doria to be awarded as one of the 10 recipients of the Metrobank Foundation’s Outstanding Filipinos of 2017.
Oplan Pokemon stands for Pakigbatukan Og sugpuon ang Krimen ug ang Epekto sa illegal nga drugas nga Makadaut Og Makaguba sa Nasud.
As of last August, the CCPO caught 4,816 drug personalities from 3,105 operations with reportedly no human rights violation under Oplan Pokemon. (JOB, RTF)