Davao police spox: No politics in reassignment of officers

INQUIRER FILES

DAVAO CITY — The leadership of the Davao regional police brushed aside insinuations that politics had something to do with the reassignment of 65 officers from the region to various posts in Luzon.

Major Catherine Dela Rey, Police Regional Office-11 spokesperson, told reporters on Wednesday that the order to uproot the police officers of various ranks from the region was a decision taken by the national police command.

She explained that all police officers could be reassigned at any time, at the prerogative of the Philippine National Police (PNP) leadership.

The issuance of the orders, Dela Rey said, just coincided with the eruption of the political tensions between the administration and Vice President Sara Duterte but the Davao regional police office had long requested the reassignments.

Dela Rey refused to give the names of the reassigned officers. However, the Inquirer obtained Wednesday copies of eight special orders signed by Brigadier General Constancio Chinayog Jr., acting director for personnel and records management of the PNP.

The orders were effective Nov. 25, covering the reassignment of eight police officers to Cagayan Valley, 12 to Bicol, 21 to Cordillera, and 24 to Mimaropa regions.

Of the 65, one is ranked lieutenant colonel, 19 majors, 12 captains, two executive master sergeants, a chief master sergeant, three senior master sergeants, 15 staff sergeants, seven corporals, and five patrolmen.

Dela Rey said no replacements had been announced yet. She assured the public that the law enforcement operations in the region are not affected by the reassignments as their pool of officers is sufficient.