DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 29 May)—The Police Regional Office – Region 11 (PRO-11) said they are ready to face any probe or invitation from the local government unit here regarding the relief of 35 personnel from the Davao City Police Office (DCPO).
This after Vice Mayor Melchor Quitain, presiding during the council session Tuesday morning, said that they would invite representatives from PRO-11 and the regional office of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG-11) to give light on the relief of 35 DCPO police officers.
But Maj. Catherine dela Rey, PRO-11 spokesperson, told the media in a press conference Wednesday morning that they have not received an invitation yet from the city government, adding that they are “always open for investigation.”
She said earlier that the relief of 35 personnel underwent proper proceedings, clarifying that the relieved personnel will be subject to pre-hearing trials under Regional Internal Affairs Service – Region 11 (RIAS-11), but its trial dates were undisclosed.
“The reason for police officers’ relief is the ongoing motu proprio investigation, not personal nor political in nature, Dela Rey added.
The relief, which included Col. Richard Bad-ang, former city police director, was recommended by the Regional Internal Affairs Service (RIAS)-Davao following its motu proprio investigation into the buy-bust operations where seven alleged drug pushers were killed within the week that Mayor Sebastian Duterte declared his “war against drugs.”
A day after Bad-ang was relieved, 34 other police officers—including station commanders, deputy commanders, and non-commissioned police officers (NCPO) such as recorders and team leaders during police operations—were sacked as well, in connection with the same investigation.
The relieved police officers are now assigned to the Regional Personnel Holding and Accounting Section (RPHAS) under PRO-11.
“They are not jampacked inside the RPHAS-11 office, but [relieved police officers] are still under the mandate of PRO-11, and they are given tasks according to their skills and ability,” Dela Rey told MindaNews.
“During their stay there, the relieved officers are readying their evidence and other things necessary once pre-hearing will start,” she added.
Director General Rommel Marbil, the Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, said the administrative relief of the 35 officers was part of the ongoing investigation into the deaths of seven suspected drug personalities during operations from March 23 to 26.
Duterte declared his “war against drugs” on March 22 during the turnover ceremony where Bad-ang was welcomed as the new city police director.
“To be clear, they are administratively relieved, depending on the ongoing pre-hearing investigations if they will be back,” Dela Rey said.
Pre-hearing investigations are done to probe and make way for relieved police officers to present evidence and other facts under the jurisdiction of RIAS. The regional RIAS serves as “the police of the police,” Dela Rey said.
The City Council passed a resolution on Tuesday condemning the relief of 35 DCPO officers.
Passed under suspended rules, the first resolution expressed the city council’s “strong support” of the official statements issued by Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte regarding the removal of the 35 officers.
Councilor Luna Acosta, in an interview, said the PNP’s move “could be political” in nature and seemingly a “coordinated attack” apparently by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. against the Dutertes. (Ian Carl Espinosa / MindaNews)
