National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Dir. Oscar Albayalde has instructed police station commanders in the metropolis to immediately report shooting incidents in their areas to the central office and not to wait for it to be publicized in the media.
Albayalde issued the reminder after Caloocan City Police Chief Sr. Supt. Jemar Modequillo was relieved for failing to resolve the spate of killings by shooters-in-motorcycles in his jurisdiction, which has drawn the attention of Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Dir. Gen. Ronald Dela Rosa.
“Iyan po ang sinasabi natin sa ating mga commanders on the ground (na) ‘pag may mga insidente doon sa kanilang mga lugar kailangan nilang i-report agad iyan, lalung-lalo na iyong mga major incidents na nangyayari sa kanilang AOR (area of responsibility),” Albayalde said in an interview with Radyo Inquirer on Tuesday.
(That’s what we are telling commanders on the ground that whenever there are incidents in their area they should immediately report it especially the major incidents happening in their AOR.)
READ: Shootings get Caloocan top cop fired
Modequillo was sacked because of the “series of unsolved incidents in the city,” according to Albayalde.
Records showed that since Modequillo took over the Caloocan City police, there had been 111 shootings carried out by motorcycle-riding suspects or lone gunmen, leaving 117 people dead or wounded.
He has led the Caloocan City Police since September 2017, following the controversial death of 17-year-old Kian delos Santos.
Sr. Supt. Restituto Arcanghel, former chief of the Manila Police District-Public Safety Battalion (MPD-PSB), will replace Modequillo.
Albayalde has also ordered the relief of MPD Station 11 chief Supt. Amante Daro, following the spate of killings in his area of responsibility. MPD Station 11 covers the crowded Binondo and Divisoria districts.
Daro will head the MPD-PSB upon the orders of Manila police Chief Supt. Joel Coronel.
Albayalde, however, clarified that the move to relieve officials would not put them in a floating status but that it was merely a reshuffle to make sure they suit the positions given to them.
“Hindi ifo-float kasi sabi nga natin hindi naman po talagang i-blame natin ‘yung mga pangyayari. Ngunit ang ginagawa po natin, probably, hindi lang po talaga siya bagay sa pwesto na iyon,” Albayalde said.
(We will not put them in floating status and we are not really blaming them for what happened. What we’re doing about this is they just do not fit in the position.)
“As much as possible we put (the) right person at the right position kasi. Kung hindi siya para doon sa pwesto na iyon, then we will rotate regularly siguro para makita po natin kung sino talaga dapat ipwesto dun sa mga lugar na iyon,” he added.
(If he is not for that position, then we will rotate regularly so that we will see who the right person is for that position.)
/kga