Garbo: Buenafe has done well at CCPO

CEBU, Philippines - Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 Director Marcelo Garbo said he is "very satisfied" with the performance of Cebu City Police Office Director Melvin Ramon Buenafe, as he dismissed rumors that the latter is seeking relief from his post.

"I'm very satisfied. In any assignments, he has given his best. Kanya-kanya tayo ng standard, but on my personal standard and of the PNP, he has performed well and above par," Garbo told reporters yesterday.

Buenafe's two-year mandatory term will end on September, but it will still be up to The Senior Officers Placement and Promotions Board of the PNP to order either his extension or official relief, Garbo said.

Ideally, Garbo said police commanders leave the post once they finished the mandatory term "to give others a chance to occupy the position and prove themselves also."

"So, nakita ni Sr. Supt. Buenafe na he has given his best and proven his worth and I think its an opportunity for him to go up and seek greener pasture," Garbo said, adding that Buenafe can now be promoted to the position of chief of staff.

Before he was assigned as CCPO director, Buenafe became the director of Negros Oriental Police Office and then head of the Regional Intelligence Division of the PRO-7.

Buenafe will reach his two-year mandatory term as city director of CCPO on September, but there are talks that he wants to leave the post as early as now allegedly because of the political tension in Cebu City.

Garbo said the said rumor published in another newspaper is not true. Buenafe also said so earlier. Furthermore, Garbo said he has not received any letter from the CCPO director regarding such matter.

"Parang ako rin. Everybody of us and all police commanders, we just do our job and we know our contending parties come election day," the PRO-7 director said.

Also to address this issue, Garbo said PRO-7 is also set to conduct a seminar-workshop to prepare police commanders for the 2013 elections.

"Issues and concerns regarding the elections will be discussed by us together with (media) to come up with a win-win solution for all of us and how to have a credible and honest election," Garbo said.

Garbo further explained that Buenafe's photo is not found at the website of the Philippine National Police (PNP), along with some other police commanders, because the positions are up for applications.

This is the PNP website's open notice to policemen who bears the rank of 'senior superintendents' and desires to occupy the said positions (city director and provincial director), Garbo said.

— (FREEMAN)