FIVE police officers, including Senior Superintendent William Señoron, acting director of Negros Occidental Provincial Police Office (Nocppo), who were all named in the supplemental affidavit of top drug suspect Ricky Serenio, were removed from their posts effective March 27.
Ordered relieved along with Señoron were Superintendent Edel Jose Manzano, chief of Cadiz City Police Station; Superintendent Antonietto Cañete of Police Regional Office (PRO)-Negros Island Region (NIR); Chief Inspector Edison Garcia of Regional Intelligence Division; Superintendent Placido Gentoleo of Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO); and Police Officer 1 Eric Alcosaba of BCPO Police Station 7.
All five were ordered to report to the Regional Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit (RPHAU), while Alcosaba was moved to the Regional Public Safety Battalion.
Senior Inspector Armilyn Vargas, public information officer of PRO-NIR, said the relief order was issued through the command of Chief Superintendent Renato Gumban, acting director of PRO-NIR.
Serenio's supplemental affidavit stated that the said police officers were allegedly receiving weekly protection money from the "Berya" drug group.
Señoron has also been accused of the same involvement in Serenio's first sworn statement.
Senior Superintendent Rolando Miranda, chief of PRO-NIR Regional Directorial Staff, was assigned to replace Señoron as officer-in-charge of Nocppo effective March 27.
Also relieved was Chief Inspector Rocky Desear from the regional headquarters, and reassigned to Nocppo, but he is not involved in the illegal drug trade issue, Vargas said.
Señoron, who was yet to receive the relief order, said over Aksyon Radyo Bacolod on Monday that he feels bad about the development, but vowed to follow the directive.
"I have doubts on the legal basis of the order from the regional office. I'm a third-level officer so the relief order should have come from the Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters in Camp Crame," Señoron said.
He added that removing him from his post despite the pending investigation on his alleged involvement in illegal drugs is the same as being convicted.
Señoron said he has nothing to prove because he believes that the truth will still prevail despite having been humiliated.
"This time, I am not fighting for my career, I am fighting for my honor," he added.
Señoron said he suspects that Moises Padilla Mayor Magdaleno Peña, who is also a consultant of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, may have something to do with his relief.
After his arrest in January, Serenio was placed under the custody of Peña's son, Pulupandan Mayor Miguel Peña, for two months.
"Peña wins in ousting me from Nocppo through Serenio although I don't exactly know who pressured the regional office to remove me," Señoron said.
Señoron was among the policemen who raided the Peña ancestral house in Pulupandan, where elder Peña was then mayor, for alleged presence of illegal firearms days before the 2013 local elections.
Meanwhile, both Manzano and Cañete said they are ready to vacate their posts although they have also not yet received their relief orders.
"I am expecting the relief order, but I full deny all allegations against me. I will consult our legal officer for further action," Manzano said.
Cañete said he believes that the "political and personal motives of Sereñio's inducer to remove police officers who are allegedly involved in illegal drug activities" will come out.
Forty policemen from Bacolod City and Negros Occidental who were allegedly involved in illegal drug trade were transferred to Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and Cordillera Administrative Region since last year.