THE police chief of Calbayog City in Samar was relieved from post effective March 14, 2021 over the incident that killed the mayor and three policemen as well as the attempt of his intelligence officer to get a list of lawyers representing the communists.
Lieutenant General Guillermo Eleazar, Philippine National Police (PNP) officer-in-charge, said Lieutenant Colonel Neil Montaño was sacked on the basis of command responsibility.
Both incidents are under investigation.
Montaño will be replaced by Lieutenant Colonel Rodolfo Albotra while Police Major Ruel Burlat will be the new chief of intelligence unit, replacing Lieutenant Fernando Calabria Jr.
Calabria was relieved from post effective March 12 after he wrote a letter to the Calbayog City court asking for the names of the lawyers representing personalities identified with the Communist Party of the Philippines, its armed unit New People’s Army and political wing National Democratic Front of the Philippines.
Eleazar said Calabria committed a "serious breach of policy.”
Read: Calbayog intel chief relieved
The legal community has expressed alarm and concern on Calabria's action.
Aside from Montaño and Calabria, nine other police non-commissioned officers of the Calbayog CPS were also relieved and reassigned to Samar Provincial Police Office to undergo refresher seminar.
The relief of these officers and the designation of their replacements were based on the recommendation of the Police Regional Office 8 Director Ronaldo De Jesus.
"This reorganization is intended not only to improve the investigation and intelligence capacity of the Calabayog City Police Station in the light of the two incidents that happened but also to infuse new ideas and strategies on peace and order with the deployment of new police officers in the area," said Eleazar.
Major Marino Estoño has been designated as the new company commander of the Calbayog City-based 1st Samar Provincial Mobile Forces Company.
Eleazar said Estoño's deployment in Calbayog City will ease the tension and address security apprehensions of the local residents especially following the incident that killed Calbayog City Mayor Ronaldo Aquino. (Third Anne Peralta-Malonzo / SunStar Philippines)