THE 20th Davao City Council has passed a resolution endorsing Mayor Sebastian "Baste" Duterte's stance on the removal of 35 officers and personnel from the Davao City Police Office (DCPO). The resolution was passed on Tuesday morning, May 28, 2024, at the Sangguniang Panlungsod.
During the council session, Councilor Luna Maria Dominique S. Acosta said, “The City Council of Davao strongly supports the statement of City Mayor Duterte, especially his assertion that such actions undermine the spirit of cooperation and mutual trust essential for effective governance and law enforcement.”
Acosta, chair of the peace and public safety committee and the resolution's proponent emphasized in a media interview that the removal of the 35 personnel had negatively impacted the morale and authority of the DCPO. She expressed concerns about its implications for public safety and called for an impartial investigation.
“If ana ka daghan na mga seasoned station commanders ma relieved sa ilahang duty unsay mahitabao ana sa atoang mga forces on the ground. So very very concerning siya sa atoang public safety maong kinahanglan gyud na ug strong statement (“If many seasoned station commanders are relieved of their duty, what will happen to our forces on the ground? So, it is very concerning for our public safety, hence the need for a strong statement),” she said.
Acosta highlighted that the relief of the 35 personnel, including the city director who had only two months left in office, would significantly affect peace and security in the city.
The Council also invited the Police Regional Office-Davao Region (PRO-Davao) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government-Davao Region (DILG-Davao) to the next session to explain the rationale behind the personnel's removal.
She underscored the public's right to know why these actions were taken and demanded transparency in the process.
Acosta voiced her concern over what she perceived as a coordinated attack on the current administration, citing the abrupt removal of Maria Belen “Mabel” Sunga Acosta as head of the Mindanao Development Authority and Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri as Senate president. She questioned whether these actions were based on legal grounds or were politically motivated.
Assuring the people of Davao, Acosta stated that the issues surrounding the personnel's removal were temporary and reiterated the LGU's commitment to ensuring everyone's safety, especially during major events.
In addition to the city director, Police Colonel Richard Bad-ang, the relieved personnel included eleven station police commanders and deputies, and 23 non-commissioned officers, effective May 22, 2024.