A DAVAO City councilor has said that they will invite Police Regional Office-Davao Region (PRO-Davao) director Police Brigadier General Nicolas D. Torre III to the 20th City Council in their next regular session so he can explain the appointment of three city directors at the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) in just one day.
Luna Maria Dominique Acosta, chair of the peace and public safety committee, said this during her privilege speech on Tuesday morning, July 16, 2024, at the Sangguniang Panlungsod.
Acosta added that they would also invite the acting DCPO director, PCol Hansel Marantan, and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to the session to shed light on the legality of these changes.
She shared that the city of Davao has experienced what other cities have not — a complete overhaul of its police station commanders and the appointment of three city police directors in less than 24 hours.
"Naguguluhan ba kayo kami rin (Are you all confused, so are we)," she said.
The councilor highlighted the absence of written or verbal notice which must be provided during the change in the selection process for the position. She shared that Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte exercised his power as mayor in choosing a city director after former DCPO director Police Colonel Richard Bad-ang was suspended two months after his assumption to office.
Duterte initially chose from a shortlist given to him by the Philippine National Police. When PCol. Sherwin M. Butil replaced Bad-ang, it was still considered acceptable since he was on the shortlist. However, Marantan, the current acting city director, was not included in the list provided to the mayor.
“The appointment of Col. Marantan without the knowledge and concurrence of the city mayor is an act of disrespect to the local chief executive, these changes have brought confusion to many especially when it comes to the actual process of the appointment of the chief,” she said.
Acosta expressed that this did not follow Republic Act (RA) 6975, also known as the Department of the Interior and Local Government Act of 1990, as amended by RA 8551, known as the Philippine National Police Reform and Reorganization Act of 1998, which states that the city mayor has the authority to choose the chief of police from a list of five eligible candidates recommended by the PNP Regional Director from the same city or municipality.
She expressed that Marantan was not Duterte's choice, and his appointment was provided by the national headquarters of the PNP. His appointment paper stated that his designation was by virtue of RA 6975, which grants the chief of the PNP the power to direct and control the deployment of PNP personnel.
Acosta said that under RA 8551, an officer in charge cannot be designated for more than 30 days, and Marantan’s appointment is considered "not based in law" as he is in an acting capacity. She stressed that changes in the city director position would likely occur within 30 days since they continue to deploy acting officers in charge.
Echoing Acosta’s sentiments, Councilor Conrado C. Baluran, chairperson of the committee on transportation and communications, said that Marantan’s appointment bypasses the authority of the city mayor. He also suggested inviting Camp Crame, the national headquarters of the PNP, to the council session so they could explain the sudden changes of city directors.
Councilor Bonz Andre Militar, chairperson of the committee on information systems, also considered the changes “extraordinary” and cited how such changes have never occurred in other cities or even countries.
“Fellow Dabawenyos are confused with these actions by the PNP so we are asking what is their intention that even the mayor was not consulted on this,” he said.
Meanwhile, Councilor Pilar Braga, chairperson of the committee on education, science, and technology, arts and culture, in her privilege speech on the same day, condemned the “shake-up” at the DCPO, saying that it has created a perception of instability within and outside Davao.
Braga said that with the opening of classes, these sudden changes at DCPO have affected local education officials, parents, teachers, and students, as the state of the local police is “chaotic,” impacting law and order in the community.
“The DCPO success through the years is attributed to the cooperation and collaboration among the law enforcement agencies along with the local government and the local citizens. Selection and appointment of local police chief have always been a close consultation with the local chief executive,” she said.
She said that everyone agrees that the Philippines has a government that functions well and serves the people regardless of the politicians in power at any given time. She added that those in authority should be held accountable for decisions that put people's lives at risk.
To recall, the 19 station commanders of the city were relieved on July 8, 2024, and on July 10, Patay was appointed as OIC city director, then replaced by Butil, and finally, Marantan as the acting city director. RGP
