Over relief of Baguio police chief,PNP tells pols to let them manage cops

BAGUIO CITY -- The Philippine National Police leadership has asked politicians to give them a free hand in managing their own men, in the midst of a three-week impasse in the Cordillera over the relief of Baguio City police director Senior Supt. Jesus Cambay.

Cordillera police director Chief Supt. Isagani Nerez said persons who lobbied for positions in the police organization have been “begged” by Director General Alan Purisima to allow them  to “shape up their men” or “ship them out”  if the latter are not performing.

Political leaders here were recently “shaken” when former city police director Cambay was relieved by Nerez owing to poor handling of crimes in the city.

Nerez who held a dialogue with city officials on Monday cited the city’s crime figure -  29 incidents in February and 22  in January.

Cambay was replaced by Senior Supt. Rolando Garcia, who Nerez vouched for being hard-working, in an officer-in-charge capacity. 

Garcia vowed he will do his best to bring changes in Baguio’s crime situation.

The Cordillera police director admitted to city officials Cambay’s relief was purely an “administrative prerogative”.

Baguio Rep. Nicasio Aliping who sought an audience with Purisima in a bid to retain Cambay as city police director was reportedly “begged” to give the police organization a free hand on the disposition of policemen.

There was nothing personal in the firing and hiring of policemen, especially natives in the Cordillera, Nerez insisted earlier, saying even police directors in Kalinga and Ifugao were relieved because of their performance.

But the shake-up, which Nerez believes is actually a mechanism for “shaping up” the police organization, ends this month as performers in the field citing Abra police director Benjamin Lusad, a Cordilleran, will remain to head the Abra command.  

In Baguio, Mayor Mauricio Domogan on Wednesday said he hoped he could “still reach an understanding (with Nerez) on this matter (of Cambay’s relief.)  Peace and order is not only the concern of the Philippine National Police but also of the local government unit because we are the ones to be blamed if there is a problem.  So I hope they will also hear our assessments because we are the ones who know what is happening in our city and we are ones affected if there is a problem.”

The mayor said the PNP should maintain the involvement of the local government unit in the choice of the police head.

He said the city government will study carefully what step it will take to address the matter because “we don’t like a confrontation with the PNP because they are still our partner. I hope we can settle this matter nicely with the PNP.  I don’t want to create more problems out of this issue.”

 The mayor on Thursday received Cambay’s replacement, Miranda, regional operations and planning division chief, in his courtesy call.

 The mayor told Miranda he has nothing against the OIC personally but was merely dissatisfied with the procedure employed in the discharge of Cambay.

 He disclosed his plan to ask Nerez to submit a list of nominees where he can select the police chief in keeping with the process.

 Miranda who assumed as officer-in-charge last Wednesday said he understands the mayor’s displease.  “The mayor is correct. He is just concerned about the process.  But as for me, I was designated as OIC so I have to do my job and I intend to prove that I am worthy of the position entrusted to me and gain 100 percent support should I become the full-fledged BCPO director someday,” he said. – With a report from Aileen P. Refuerzo