BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan wants the leadership of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to immediately submit to him the shortlist of qualified senior officers from where the screening committee will select the next City Director of the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) after the unceremonious relief of the local police chief who was subjected to the regular screening process at the local level.
The Mayor said the PNP should be the first one to comply with the provisions of the law that expressly provides that the maximum tour of duty of an officer-in-charge should be 30 days and not for the organization to grossly violate it by circumventing the law to suit their own interests.
“The PNP should not again wait for another two years before submitting the shortlist to us. We will no longer tolerate an officer-in-charge who will again serve for nearly two years without passing through the process that we had established at the local level where all concerned sectors will have their own voices heard in the selection of the next BCPO chief,” Domogan stressed.
He branded the way the PNP unceremoniously relieved former BCPO officials and the serious delays in the submission of the shortlist as circumventing the provisions of existing laws, rules and regulations in the assignment of police officials to suit the interest top regional police officials assigned to the region.
According to him, the unpredictable transition of police officers being assigned to certain areas will definitely deprive the local government, in partnership with the police force, in formulating long-term peacekeeping and anti-criminality programs towards maintaining law and order in the city, especially that Baguio city is one of the preferred tourist destinations in the country with a huge volume of tourists visiting the city year-round.
Domogan reminded the PNP leadership that people blame the local officials when peace and order in very poor in the city that is why the wayward assignment of police officers deprives the local chief executives the power to select the police officer whom they know will really work for the attainment of lasting peace in the city.
He explained he does not outrightly select the BCPO chief. The members of the screening committee will decide whom to recommend as BCPO chief for a term of two years. In the case of Senior Superintendent George D. Daskeo, he only served three months, while in the case of Senior Superintendent Jesus Cambay, he was booted out of office after one year and four months as BCPO chief.
Domogan questioned the PNP leadership on why are the assigned police officers being unceremoniously replaced without justifiable reasons, when in fact, those who were replaced were doing well in exercising their duties and responsibilities that resulted in a significant decrease in the volume of crimes committed around the city during their respective tour of duties while those who were assigned as officers-in-charge had lackluster performances.
By Dexter A. See
