62 W. Visayas police chiefs sacked

ILOILO CITY—More than half of the number of police chiefs in Western Visayas have been reshuffled for failing to meet targets in the massive campaign against illegal drugs.

The police chiefs were transferred to other towns and cities starting Sept. 9 as part of the massive reshuffling that affected 62 police officers in five provinces, or 62 percent of the total 100 towns and cities in the region.

Supt. Gilbert Gorero, spokesperson of the Police Regional Office in Western Visayas, said those relieved included 14 out of 17 police chiefs in Aklan, 13 out of 18 in Antique, 10 out of 17 in Capiz, 3 out of 5 in Guimaras and 22 out of 43 in Iloilo.

He said the police stations in these towns and cities did not meet the minimum of three drug-related arrests per day for two months, July 1 to Aug. 31.

Gorero said the reshuffling was not a form of disciplinary action against the police chiefs but part of efforts to “reinvigorate” the anti-illegal drug campaign in the region.

From July 1 to Aug. 30, police in the region arrested 601 suspected drug personalities and killed 11 others in police operations. Of the 612, 137 were users and 475 were pushers.

Gorero said the number of police chiefs transferred to other assignments could be lower because those who occupied their post for just two weeks or less would be retained.

He said the police chiefs, mostly with the rank of inspector and senior inspector, would be reassigned to provinces where they had been previously posted.

Asked why the same target of three arrests per day is imposed on all municipalities regardless of population and level of economic development, Gorero said it is presumed that illegal drugs thrive in towns and cities unless declared otherwise by municipal or city antidrug abuse councils or by the municipal and city councils.

But a police chief, who was among those transferred, said less urbanized and populated areas had fewer crimes and smaller drug problems.

“It is unfair for some police stations to be imposed with similar targets of arrests with highly urbanized cities or towns,” the police chief, who asked not be identified for fear of repercussions, told the Inquirer.

Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, Philippine National Police chief, earlier pointed to the Western Visayas police office as one of three regional police offices that had been lagging in the anti-illegal drug campaign.

Shortly after he issued the statement, five suspected drug pushers were gunned down in separate police operations in Iloilo.

The suspects allegedly fought back.