DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 10 July)—It was chaos at the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) on Wednesday as it changed leadership thrice within the day.
From left: Col. Lito Patay, Col. Sherwin Butil, Col. Hansel Marantan. Photos from the PRO-11 website and PCADG Tagapag-Ugnay Facebook page
Col. Lito Patay reported for work as “officer-in-charge” (OIC) of the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) early morning Wednesday. He was relieved before lunch time.
Maj. Catherine dela Rey, spokesperson of the Police Regional Office 11 (PRO-11), announced at 4:08 p.m. in the group chat among Davao reporters covering the police beat that Col. Sherwin Butil, who headed PRO-11’s Regional Information and Communications Technology Management Division, will be the new OIC.
Finally, at 8:48 p.m., Dela Rey announced in the same group chat that Col. Hansel M. Marantan, stable internal peace and security officer of the Area Police Command for Southern Luzon, will be the “acting city director” effective Wednesday.
According to Col. Jed Clamor, DCPO deputy director for administration, Patay was designated as OIC chief of DCPO on Monday, but he was able to report for work only Wednesday morning.
Capt. Hazel Tuazon, DCPO spokesperson, said that Patay, upon reporting to DCPO this morning, called on the 19 newly installed station commanders of DCPO for a “whole day” command conference.
But as they took a short break before lunch, the DCPO officers were informed that Patay was no longer the DCPO OIC, Clamor said in an interview posted online by the local media outfit RNG News.
Before Patay was designated OIC, DCPO was headed by Col. Rolindo Soguilon. But Dela Rey said Soguilon went on leave on Monday, also the time when the 19 station commanders in the city were replaced by personnel from police provincial offices and the regional headquarters.
During the period between Soguilon’s absence and Patay’s reporting at DCPO Wednesday morning, Clamor took over as the next in command, Dela Rey said.
Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte, meanwhile, has cried foul on the frequent changes of the city’s police commanders, saying it was “politically motivated.”
He said in his Facebook account: “Good luck PNP the DAVAOEÑOS are watching. We will remember this smiling face with sunglasses emoji .”
Duterte highlighted that Davao City has a safety index score of 71.8 in a Numbeo survey, just below Singapore, reflecting the city’s hard-fought peace and order.
However, he criticized the recent administrative changes by the PNP as “politically motivated” and warned that Davaoeños are watching and will remember these actions.
In an earlier statement, Duterte said the recent police changes “will not help in sustaining the city’s peace and security situation.”
In a post on Facebook Tuesday, the mayor said he was fascinated by Torre’s perception and conclusion on the peace and order situation of the city, just a few days after he became chief of PRO-11.
“This move by [PNP chief Rommel Francisco] Marbil and Police Regional Office XI Regional Director Nicolas Torre undermines the hard work not only of these police officials but also of every police personnel who is truthfully fulfilling their mandate, that instead of being recognized, are being relieved and questioned,” Duterte said.
The mayor highlighted that the DCPO “earned a longstanding reputation for its commitment to peace and order and security for our people.”
“If General Torre thought that Davao City police personnel were ineffective in their duties, then how come the very institution he leads has consistently recognized the Davao City Police Office as the top performing police office in the region?” Duterte asked. (Ian Carl Espinosa / MindaNews)
