Cebu City police chief relieved amid probe on Clarin town mayor’s slay

MANILA, Philippines — The chief of Cebu City Police Office has been relieved from her post amid the probe on the death of Clarin, Misamis Occidental Mayor David Navarro.

Col. Gemma Vinluan was sacked from her position on Wednesday “to make her available for the investigation being conducted,” Brig. Gen. Valeriano De Leon, director of the Central Visayas police, said in a statement Thursday.

Vinluan’s relief as Cebu City police chief comes after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the police to turn over the investigation on Navarro’s death to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), citing doubts that the police might be involved in the incident.

According to De Leon, the administrative relief of Vinluan from her post took effect on Wednesday, the same day that the case was turned over to the NBI.

De Leon called the President’s order for the police to stop its probe on the murder as a “welcome development.”

“It will provide a perception of impartial investigation sparing us of suspicion of possible whitewash,” he said.

Navarro died while being transported to the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office on October 25 for inquest proceedings. He was facing charges of usurpation of authority, slight physical injury, and acts of lasciviousness in relation to a complaint that he allegedly assaulted a massage therapist. /je