Baguio mayor hits PNP over selection of chiefs

By Dexter A. See 

BAGUIO CITY – The chief executive of this summer capital assailed the Philippine National Police over its practice of relieving and selecting police chiefs without consulting local governments which he was contrary to law.    

In the case of Baguio, Domogan urged the PNP not to take too long in submitting to him list of qualified senior officers so the screening committee will select the next city police director.

Domogan said it took the PNP two years before it submitted to him list of qualified senior police officers as replacement of former city police chief Senior Supt. Jesus Cambay who was unceremoniously relieved from his post without justifiable reasons.

He expressed disappointment over the practice of the PNP to place officers-in-charge in lieu of permanent police chiefs that exceed the 30-day grace period enshrined in the law to suit interests of senior official  dictating such scenario.

 “We are wondering why there is always a fast turnover of police officials in the Baguio City Police Office  when the law provides that the tour of duty of police chiefs should be a maximum of two years. What is in BCPO that the other police offices do not have, thus, there is always a fast turnover of police officers?” Domogan asked.

Former BCPO chief Senior Supt. George Daskeo, who served as officer-in-charge of the local police force in January, was chosen by the screening committee as city police director in June but he was suddenly relieved from his position on Sept. 30.

Domogan said the problem with the PNP is just they simply replace a police chief without the proper consultations with the concerned local chief executive who deserve to be informed on the justifiable reasons for the sudden relief of their police chiefs.

According to him the proposal of Sen. Panfilo Lacson to remove the power of local chief executives in the selection of police chiefs in their areas of jurisdiction is moving away the PNP from the local government, thus, it is also proper for the PNP to stop requesting financial and technical support from the local governments for their maintenance and other operating expenses and mobility among others and that the same must already be left to the national government.

Instead of supposedly having a closer relationship with the local government, the local chief executive said it seems the PNP is trying to deprive concerned local officials with powers vested on them to appoint the police chief in their areas of jurisdiction by circumventing the law in coming out with flimsy reasons just to justify relief of an official that they do not like and replace the same with an officer-in-charge that tends to listen to their dictates.

He said it is high time for the PNP leadership to end such wrong practice if they want that people will continue to bestow their trust and confidence to them.

It was learned that Daskeo, who was promised a position for his supposed promotion in Camp Crame, is now in a floating status contrary to what was promised him just to leave BCPO.