Baguio mayor hits PNP on selection of police chiefs

Drive ordered against gambling, drugs 

By Aileen P. Refuerzo

BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio Domogan assailed the Philippine National Police here Monday for “disrespecting” local elective chief executives by suddenly replacing or appointing police chief without consultation with heads of local government units, even as he called for increased drive against illegal gambling, drugs, among other crimes.  

This came about when former Kalinga police director Senior Supt. George Daskeo unceremoniously replaced Senior Supt. Rolando Miranda as officer-in-charge effective Jan. 8 without the knowledge of the mayor prompting the city executive to decry what he called the PNP’s practice of circumventing its own rules in appointing police chiefs in the city.

He said this practice of the PNP to disregard the law is disconcerting considering that the city’s peace and order is at stake.

“It seemed they had made it a practice to violate their own rule.  They did it during the time of Senior Supt. Jesus Cambay and now with Col. Miranda.  I have been hoping that they will follow the rules this time.  I kept on asking for them to submit the names of the nominees so we can submit our own recommendation but it did not happen until last Monday when I found out that we already have a new police chief,” the mayor said.

Despite the mayor’s appeal to observe the procedure, Cambay was   unceremoniously replaced by Miranda in February 2014.  

Miranda had since served as OIC of the city police until his exit last Jan. 8 which the mayor noted as another violation of the PNP rule on the tenure of OICs.

The mayor said however that until the PNP corrects its practice, the city has no choice but to work closely with whoever is assigned to its police department for the sake of maintaining the city’s peace and order. 

“I just hope that our new police chief will deliver and see to it that the city’s peace and order will be attended to 24 hours a day,” the mayor said. 

Daskeo served as deputy for administration at the BCPO from 2011-2012.  

Before his present assignment in the city, he served as the provincial director of the Kalinga police office.   

Despite this, Domogan on Monday ordered Daskeo to effect round-the-clock peace and order campaign in the city to sustain downtrend in criminality.

At the close of 2015, the Baguio City Police Office reported a 10.59 percent decrease in the crime volume under Rolando Miranda as officer in charge.  

However, the crime solution efficiency was also reduced from 66 percent in 2014 to 56 percent in 2015.

The mayor said that while the report indicated a downtrend in the number, the crime incidents that transpired remained alarming.

“We cannot afford to let our guards down so I expect our new police chief to be available 24/7 to focus on the peace and order situation of our city,” the mayor said.

Aside from the crimes against property, the mayor asked the new police chief to give special attention to containing physical injury incidents which are mainly alcohol-related thus the need for stricter monitoring of night establishments.

The mayor also singled out the drug problem, gambling and traffic condition as among the major concerns commanding concentration by the city police.