BAGUIO City Mayor Mauricio Domogan expressed disgust of the Philippine National Police’s relieving of the city’s top cop without informing the chief executive.
An irked Domogan said he is also bent on not accepting Senior Superintendent Gerardo Omayao as the new city’s top after Senior Superintendent Ramil Saculles was removed following a two-year duty in the Summer Capital.
“I hope this will be clarified. We are disgusted of what is happening because last Friday we receive the news that our chief of police will be relieved without giving the courtesy of coordinating with us. I am going to make it clear, I am not going to accept an OIC (officer-in-charge) without first coordinating with us. Sorry for the word but we feel we are being insulted by the national office of the PNP,” Domogan stated.
The mayor reiterated to the PNP heirarchy its process on changing heads of city directors and stressed the need for coordinating with local government before making any changes in the local police leadership.
“The PNP law is simple, they should follow the process. When they transfer our chief of police, they should now submit the five names and give us two days to do the screening so that we can immediately screen who will be the next,” the mayor said.
Domogan had previously been irked on the actions of the PNP in its process of changing its city directors without prior coordination with the local chief executives.
“Under the guise of OIC, he will be there for two years. Who will suffer? It’s the City of Baguio. They did that during the time of then Senior Superintendent Jesus Versoza and I complained to then Secretary Alunan of the DILG,” the mayor explained.
Aside from Versoza, other previous chiefs of police who were assigned at Baguio City Police Office in OIC capacity before they were conferred city director were Jesus Cambay, George Daskeo and Saculles.
“The City Government provides budget for our police. We are all agencies of government who has teamwork in operating but what is happening? We are really disgusted of what is being done by the PNP to us,” the Mayor added.
Domogan also reminded peace and order is always a part of an local government unit’s priority and must not be taken for granted.