A POLICE official warned stubborn policemen who would violate the ongoing election gun ban “to be re-assigned to Maguindanao” to replenish the personnel in the area.
Philippine National Police regional Director Police Chief Superintendent Isagani Cuevas made the warning during the 19th PNP Anniversary at the Negros Occidental Provincial Police Office (Noppo) in Camp Alfredo Montelibano Sr., Barangay Camingawan, in Bacolod City.
Two policemen in the region were caught violating the election gun ban.
Cuevas said the regional office already have one erring cop from Don Salvador Benedicto transferred to Kalibo, Aklan for being caught betting in a cockpit in Barangay Granada, in Bacolod City.
PO2 Rommel Lee, a member of the DSB PNP was apprehended last week for gun ban violation while participating in the said cockfighting activity.
The case was already filed against him and that he is now out after posting a bond of P12,000.
Right now all over Western Visayas, there are 68 gun ban violators that were apprehended and 50 firearms seized with some grenades and bladed weapons, said Cuevas.
“The violators will be investigated and for the period of 30 days, corresponding penalties shall be given to them. Those who are in service will immediately be relieved from their posts and will be assigned to the regional office to undergo training. Then if there are some stubborn personnel who refused to undergo the training, they will be assigned to Maguindanao to replenish the personnel there who were relieved because of the infamous Maguindanao Massacre,” stressed the PNP regional director Cuevas.
Cuevas further said he directed all the city and provincial directors to conduct an urgent investigation so that those who violates will be relieved immediately and the dismissal proceedings shall be conducted.
This will serve as a reminder to our policemen of our policy, he said.
The provincial directors will properly assess whether the command responsibility aspect of the disciplinary authority of the PNP would apply, said Cuevas.
Meanwhile, Cuevas said that re-shuffling of the Chief of Police (COP) may take place. Those who will be affected are the COPs who are over-staying and have not been performing well.
They will be assigned to other areas in which they could serve well, he said, stressing that the policemen who has the tendency to be partial or not neutral will be transferred to other areas so that they will not influence the outcome of the elections.
Cuevas maintained that in Negros now, there is no hotspot area. Only a “watchlist areas” which he said was due to incidents in the last 2004 and 2007 elections.
Cuevas also said the re-assignment is also due to the prevalence of the CPP-NPA in some areas.