“POOR” performance in the drive against drug personalities led to the relief of the police chiefs of the four towns of Camotes Island yesterday.
The officers, who reportedly failed to go after priority targets, were replaced by junior officers from the Regional Public Safety Batallion (RPSB) 7.
The island is reportedly the “strategic” transshipment point of illegal drugs for mainland Cebu and Bohol, a police official said.
It is also near the town of Albuera, Leyte, the turf of Kerwin Espinosa, the alleged drug kingpin in Eastern Visayas.
Senior Supt. Eric Noble, Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) director, said: Look at the strategic value of Camotes. It’s so close. You can just use a jetski and get to Albuera in 30 minutes. If you just focus on that area, you can minimize the supply.
Asked about the effort of the police chiefs of Camotes in the campaign against illegal drugs, Noble said it was lacking (“kulang”).
Chief Supt. Noli Taliño, the Police Regional Office 7 director, issued an order transferring San Francisco Police Chief Philip John Libres, Tudela Police Chief Cecilio Panares, Poro Police Chief Roberto Hugo, and Pilar Police Chief Cesar Carlos Alburo to the Regional Public Safety Battalion (RPSB) 7.
Sun.Star Cebu tried to interview the relieved officers, but only Alburo answered.
Alburo said he doesn’t think his team’s performance could be considered poor.
There could be another reason, he said in a phone interview but did not elaborate.
New chiefs
The new police station commanders of San Francisco, Tudela, Poro and Pilar are Sr. Insp. Janus Giangan, Insp. Sigmund Freud Cruz, Insp. Jade Sumugat, and Insp. Emmanuel Rabaya.
Noble told the new chiefs they have a month or two to go after the priority targets and cripple the drug trade in Camotes.
Rabaya, for his part, said he will do his best to solve the problem even though it is his first time to lead a police station.
He said 18 rookie policemen, who are PO1s, from RPSB 7 were also assigned to the police stations.
Noble presided the joint turnover ceremony at the CPPO headquarters in Barangay Lahug, Cebu City yesterday morning.
Cellar dwellers
Based on his evaluation, Noble said the police stations in San Francisco, Poro, Tudela and Pilar are at the bottom in terms of accomplishments against illegal drugs.
Tudela only had one successful operation and Pilar none, he said.
“Kayo kaya ang kumander, matuwa ka?” said Noble.
Noble said there were 242 junkies and pushers who surrendered to the police in Poro; 225 in Tudela; 78 in Pilar; and 448 in San Francisco.
He said that based on the number of surrenderers, there is a high consumption of illegal drugs in the island.
