THE chief of the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (Cocpo) has ordered the relief of a police station commander along with two of his men on Wednesday, October 25, after the two were supposedly caught sleeping inside a patrol car while on duty.
City police director Senior Superintendent Robert Roy Bahian relieved Senior Inspector Juilus Saluta as chief of Police station 9 for command responsibility.
The two policemen relieved for "violating directives on patrol duties and responsibilities" were not identified.
"Dili ko ka confirm kung natulog ba sila. Nasapon sila nga nagviolate sa directiba sa patroling," Chief Inspector Mardy Hortillosa II, Cocpo spokesperson, said.
Officials of Cocpo inspected all police stations on Wednesday to check the strict implementation of the Enhanced Management Police Operations, the anti-criminality and anti-terrorism campaign of the PNP after they were stripped with the power to conduct anti-drug operations.
"Nag shift naman gud from double barrel so gi-inspection sa Cocpo ang mga police station kumusta ang ilang deployment sa personnel," Hortillosa said.
Hortillosa said the mandate to check every police station is also aimed at assessing its readiness especially that the warning against bombing and terror attacks for Cagayan de Oro came straight from the mouth of President Rodrigo Duterte.
"Diba naa man tay threat nga gi-pronounce ni President so gihugtan nato atong pagsusi sa kaandam sa mga police station ug aron makahimo lakang kung unsa angay i-improve," Hortillosa added
Saluta and the two others will have to report at the City Holding and Accounting Unit (CHAO) of Cocpo while replacing him as PS9 commander is Senior Inspector Abdul Alim Sumandar from the Operations and Plans branch.
Hortillosa said PS9 was found to have unsatisfactory performance during the conduct of inspection last October 24.
"Naigo si sir Saluta sa command responsibility kay nag-inspection ang taga region unya nakita nga iyang mga tawo wala nagtarong og perform sa ilang duty. Nakita siguro nga naay mali sa ilang pagtrabaho," Hortillosa said.
Cocpo also installed former chief of the Detective Management Desk (DMD) Senior Inspector Sebastian Chua Jr. as new Police Station 5 chief and will replace Chief Inspector Ernesto Daing after the latter went out for schooling.
Hortillosa said the city police office also reshuffled some deputy commanders as part of the normal rotation of personnel.
Meanwhile, authorities on Thursday, October 26, formally charged the three persons caught at a checkpoint on board a van bound for General Santos City transporting boxes containing government-owned bullets and explosives.
Police charged the couple Jerry and Amalia Balabat and their companion Serio Pangantihon with illegal possession of ammunition and explosives.
Senior Inspector Corrine Mae Estigoy, spokesperson of the Misamis Oriental Provincial Police Office, said the suspects cannot post bail.
"So far na file na ang kaso sa kanila sa prosecutors office while patuloy pa ang investigation," Estigoy said.
The suspects were arrested after yielding boxes full of bullets for high powered guns and explosives inside the van at a security checkpoint in El Salvador City, Misamis Oriental last Monday, October 23.
Estigoy said the suspects came from Marawi City and claimed that they were supposedly hired by an Army captain to transport the boxes to General Santos City for P8,000.
The police are withholding the name of the soldier pending verification of the identity.