MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews/21 August) – The new provincial police director of Bukidnon was installed Friday, three months after the post became vacant with the relief of the previous director for his failure to preempt an attack of a municipal police station by New People’s Army rebels.
Senior Supt. Rustom Duran was chosen based on a secret balloting among the chiefs of police of Bukidnon’s 20 towns and two cities, Gov. Alex Calingasan told MindaNews.
Duran, who was assigned at the Police Regional Police Community Relations Division, won over two other candidates shortlisted by the police regional office. He is a former police chief of Valencia City and former provincial director of Camiguin.
Calingasan said Duran obtained nine votes, and the two others got eight and six votes, respectively, during the voting held August 3 at the Provincial Planning and Development Office.
The governor said he opted for a secret balloting to ensure that he would endorse somebody who enjoy the confidence of most police station chiefs and who can work harmoniously with local officials.
He, however, noted that Duran was not the first choice of the Bukidnon Mayors’ League.
Calingasan said that Duran was also his choice because he is a native of Malaybalay City and now a resident of Valencia.
But Calingasan had picked Senior Supt. Cristito Gonzalodo over Duran for the post earlier this year.
Gonzalodo, along with Malitbog police chief, Inspector Alexander Eugenio, was relieved following a rebel raid on the town’s armory on May 3 this year.
Calingasan was subsequently criticized for his choice of Gonzalodo.
Duran vowed to do his “best to stop criminality in the province” in his brief acceptance speech.
Calingasan noted in his remarks the growing criminality in the province, but that “the situation in
Bukidnon is better off compared to the rest of the country”.
The Bukidnon National High School, where Duran graduated in 1979, hanged a streamer congratulating him for his new assignment. (Walter I. Balane/MindaNews)
