ISABELA Mayor Joselito Malabor has requested the relief of Chief Inspector Reuben Pajarito as the town police chief.
In a letter dated June 8 to Senior Superintendent Rodolfo Castil Jr., director of Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (Nocppo), Malabor said the reason for his request is to further enhance the implementation of the campaign against illegal drugs, and illegal gambling in the town.
The mayor said he would want a police chief who has his trust and confidence to enforce the law and order in the municipality.
After two weeks, Malabor sent another letter to Castil, requesting Chief Inspector Romeo Salvador to head the current strength of the town policemen.
Malabor, in his letter, reiterated the need to intensify their campaign against illegal drugs, the proliferation of armed groups, and other crimes.
Salvador, who hails from Bulacan, is one of those policemen who headed the negotiations after dismissed Senior Inspector Rolando Mendoza had taken hostage over 20 passengers of a tourist bus near the Quirino Grandstand in 2010.
Malabor, in a media interview Monday, said he has yet to receive any feedback from Castil.
He appealed to Castil to immediately act on his request.
Malabor said a copy of the letters was also sent to Chief Superintendent John Bulalacao, director of Police Regional Office (PRO)-Western Visayas.
However, Bulalacao said he has yet to receive a copy of the letters.
Malabor said he has yet to send a letter to Director General Oscar Albayalde, chief of Philippine National Police (PNP), as he is still waiting for the action of the local police here.
Meanwhile, Castil, in an earlier interview, confirmed he already received Malabor's letter but stressed that designating a new police chief should undergo a process.
As this developed, Malabor said he does not intervene with the police operations as long as it is legal.
Malabor alleged the local police have a poor performance in the drug war.
For his part, Pajarito, in a phone interview with SunStar Bacolod yesterday said Malabor's plan to relieve him is a "normal procedure" in the police organization, claiming that the mayor has the power to choose whoever he wants to lead the police force in the town.
Pajarito, who served the town for one year already, said he has good coordination with the local government unit and has no problem with the mayor and other government officials.