MAYOR Sebastian “Baste” Duterte said the relief of 19 station commanders on July 8, 2024, undermined the hard work of the police officers who were only fulfilling their mandate to secure Davao City.
In a statement posted on July 9, 2024, Duterte said the order issued by Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Rommel Francisco Marbil and implemented by Police Regional Office (PRO) XI regional director Brig Gen Nicolas Torre was questionable.
“The mass relief of police officials, including the City Police Director, the head of the Special Operations Group, and 19 station commanders, assigned in Davao City will not help in sustaining the city’s peace and security situation,” he said.
He added Torre’s “perception and conclusion on the peace and order situation of Davao City a few days after he set foot in the city is rather fascinating given that he has only been assigned in PRO XI in less than a month.”
“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?” he said.
Duterte pointed out “These police officers who have dedicated their lives to serve their fellow Filipinos do not deserve this treatment.”
“I stand with every member of the Davao City Police Office,” he said.
In a press briefing on Wednesday, PRO XI spokesperson Major Catherine Dela Rey clarified that the relief of 19 station commanders is a routine procedure.
“Replacing these officers is part of the job and falls under the command’s prerogative to assign and reassign personnel,” Dela Rey stated. “The relieved commanders have been reassigned within PRO XI, while responsible officers from the region have taken their places.”
Dela Rey emphasized that the decision was not personal, political, or solely related to the unsuccessful arrest of Pastor Quiboloy or recent crime statistics in Davao City.
“Our commitment is to prevent crime and ensure public safety,” she said. “PRO XI Director Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre has the authority to evaluate and reassign officers to best serve these goals.
Last May, then DCPO chief Col. Richard Bad-ang and 34 others including six station commanders, five deputy commanders, and 23 police non-commissioned officers (PNCOs) were relieved from their posts based on the recommendation by the Police Regional Office-Regional Internal Affairs Service in connection with its investigation into the deaths of seven individuals during drug operations in March.
File Photo: Bing Gonzales
