Before anything else, we extend our and our family’s heart-felt condolence to the family of our friend and former colleague at Davao Light and Power Co. Engr. Rodger Velasco. RSV, as he is fondly called by his fellow employees, unexpectedly died of cardiac arrest at about midnight of Wednesday in the hospital after he apparently collapsed while sleeping.
Rodger, a scholar of Aboitiz during his College of Engineering days, rose from the ranks at Davao Light. At the time of his untimely demise he was President and Chief Operating Officer of the Aboitiz-owned power distribution utility with franchise area that covers Davao City, Panabo City and the Municipalities of Carmen, Dujali, Sto. Tomas, and two barangays in Kapalong, Davao del Norte.
His death came as a shocking news not only to the immediate members of his family and relatives, his friends but most of all to us who were able to work with him in the power firm. The last time we saw each other was when he came to our residence in Talandang on his way to turn over a project donated by Davao Light to a public secondary school nearby and inspect a playground facility for children just a few meters from our house.
We can only wish that RSV’s family will be able to cope with the impact of his loss.
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What game is the Philippine National Police (PNP) leadership playing with Davaoenos? Are the top officers of the PNP or their commander-in-chief so wanting in trust of the very people they have promoted to this and that rank that they could not make up their minds as to who should they install as the police director of Davao City?
For the first time in our long years as a practicing media person and as a simple observer of the police organization in the city when we were employed with a non-media firm, it is only this time that we are witness to the wanton changes in the top position of the police at the city and station levels.
The most brazen of this series of reliefs is that of Director of the Davao City Police Office (DCPO. First was when then newly assumed city director Col. Richard Bag-ang who in only after three weeks was kicked out of the DCPO reportedly due to the unfortunate and without doubt, coincidental incident of the killing of seven illegal drug dealer suspects during that short period.
Relieved with Colonel Bad-ang were over thirty other police officers that included some station commanders. The intention of the relief is reportedly to ensure that the probe into the circumstances of the suspects’ killing will not in any manner be influenced by any of the relieved police officers.
With Bad-ang’s reassignment to a new post at the Regional Police Office XI, a new officer-in-charge director in Col. Rolindo Soguilon, was appointed. But in only a few weeks he was again relieved and in his place Col. Lito Patay was installed as another OIC last Wednesday, July 10. He assumed his new post at about 7:40 in the morning of that day. But just before noon of the same day or in only three hours, Colonel Patay received an order from his superior to stand down.
Col. Sherwin Butil, chief of the Regional Information and Communications Technology Management Division, replaced Patay who hardly had the chance to start heating his seat in the office. As to how long will Colonel Butil stay at the DCPO perhaps we will know even much sooner than later.
Frankly, we and the rest of the Davaoenos are in their hardest time to figure out what is going on at the PNP top hierarchy. But of course we are certain that the apparent indecision among the top police leaders is not because they are unable to identify who are those most qualified to assume the DCPO directorship. Rather, it is because they want to install somebody who they think is acceptable to the Gods that really run the show in the police organization.
And who else but the President who is now at odds with the Davaoeno former President and his loyal followers running the local government of Davao City.
Of course the PNP executives can readily deny the suspicion of the Davaoenos by claiming that the massive relief of officers in the city including the Police director is “in the exigency of the service.” But is it really?
Will this change of the DCPO director and police station commanders result to the immediate capture of fugitive religious leader Apollo C. Quiboloy? Will it make Davao City a near crimeless and truly drug-free city? Or, will it just make a mockery of the manner with which the police organization is supposed to be run and administered?
Your answer is as good as ours.
