‘Inutile’ Aurora cop chief sacked

CABANATUAN CITY—The police director of Aurora province has been removed from office and has not been given a new post, because of his alleged dismal performance in the Duterte administration’s war on drugs.

Senior Supt. Danilo Florentino was described by Chief Supt. Aaron Aquino, Central Luzon police director, as “inutile” so he removed him.

Aquino announced the change at the opening of the Bahay Pagasa reformatory center at the Nueva Ecija police compound in Cabanatuan on Wednesday.

He faulted Florentino for failing to put up his own rehabilitation facility in Aurora, now that 58,000 drug users and traffickers had surrendered to police.

Aquino said 1,900 drug suspects in Central Luzon were arrested in police operations while 187 others were killed in clashes with police from July 1 to Aug. 22.

In Isabela province, two police chiefs were ordered relieved on Tuesday as part of a nationwide shakeup of police officials. Supt. Manuel Bringas was replaced as Ilagan City police chief by Supt. Segundo Lagundi Jr. on the instructions of Director General Ronald dela Rosa, chief of the Philippine National Police. Bringas served the Ilagan post for 10 months.

Supt. Engelbert Soriano was replaced by Supt. Ariel Quilang as Cauayan City police chief.

Two mayors identified by President Duterte as alleged protectors of drug syndicates surrendered their firearms to Camp Olivas in Pampanga province on Tuesday.

Mayor Marino Morales of Mabalacat City and Mayor Cipriano Violago Jr. of San Rafael, Bulacan province, denied involvement in drugs. But they complied with the President’s order to surrender their guns, Aquino said.

Six policemen providing security to Morales were also recalled. Armand Galang and Tonette Orejas, Inquirer Central Luzon, and Villamor Visaya Jr., Inquirer Northern Luzon