Gamboa sacks police chiefs of Central Visayas and Bulacan, HPG exec

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Archie Gamboa has ordered the relief of the director of Police Regional Office Central Visayas and the reassignment of other police officials.

In an order signed Thursday, Gamboa removed Brig. Gen. Valeriano Templo De Leon as Central Visayas police director and reassigned him to the Office of the Chief PNP (OCPNP) in Camp Crame, Quezon City.

De Leon will be replaced by Brig. Gen. Albert Ignatius Dacoco Ferro as the Central Visayas police director.

Gamboa likewise relieved Acting Bulacan Provincial Police Director Col. Emma Libunao and Deputy Director for Operations of the Highway Patrol Group (HPG) Col. Gil Francis Gorobia Tria, and reassigned to OCPNP.

PNP spokesman Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac said De Leon, Libunao, and Tria were placed on floating status while at OCPNP “pending result of the evaluation of their fitness for placement to future vacancies.”

According to Banac, Gamboa ordered the relief and reassignment of police officials on the following factors:

• performance
• campaign against illegal drugs
• campaign against illegal gambling
• campaign against rogue cops
• failure to adhere to Command policies

Banac told INQUIRER.net in phone interview that De Leon, Libunao, and Tria are “found to be lacking in performance” in terms of their campaign against illegal drugs, illegal gambling, internal cleansing against rogue cops, as well as their compliance to policies such as no golfing during duty hours.

It can be recalled that Gamboa earlier sacked three senior police officers under De Leon’s command for playing golf “when they are bored” during office hours and weekdays.

“Gamboa reminded all Regional Directors of the PNP’s hardline stance against all forms of illegal gambling activities and other crimes against public morals in their areas of jurisdiction,” Banac said in a statement.

Edited by KGA