Buenafe's 2-year term as CCPO head ends today

CEBU, Philippines - Senior Superintendent Melvin Ramon Buenafe celebrates today his two years as the director of the Cebu City Police Office, the standard number of years to lead a headquarters.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama will request for the extension of Buenafe as director of the CCPO.

Personally, Buenafe said he likes to stay in his post and continue to face many other challenges this highly-urbanized city posed to him.

“I love serving Cebu City and the people of Cebu. It’s been a great experience, although it’s very challenging to be the city director in this prestigious city,” Buenafe told reporters yesterday.

It’s very heartwarming, he added, that Mayor Michael Rama wants him to continue as head of the local police.

“That really boosts our moral. It just goes to show that the mayor appreciates the good deeds of our policemen,” Buenafe said.

The CCPO director then cited the reward Rama recently conferred to policemen who were figured in last year’s shooting incident with robbers at Robinson’s Place.

However, Buenafe said police officers follow a career pattern that will lead them to ascend the ladder of ranks in the Philippine National Police. Therefore, he said, he will eventually have to move on from CCPO.

For the meantime, Buenafe said, he will perform his duties and responsibilities as head of CCPO while he has not yet received any order from his superior. But wherever Buenafe would be assigned after CCPO, he said he will now be confident.

“It’s a very good experience na maging city director ng Cebu City. From here, kahit saan ako ilagay, I can say I’m confident because I have experienced a lot in this highly urbanized area,” the CCPO director said.

Buenafe was assigned as director of the Negros Oriental Police Office and then head of the Regional Intelligence Division of the Police Regional Office 7 before he was appointed as director of CCPO.

He replaced now Cebu Provincial Police Office director Patrocinio Comendador, Jr., who has served as CCPO director for more than three years.

Rama will request for Buenafe to continue at the CCPO, satisfied with Buenafe’s performance. The mayor said he will make sure not to let Cebu City lose a good police director.

“If I have to write now for his extension I will. I need to see him immediately,” Rama said.

Buenafe’s term expires today. But Rama said Buenafe cannot just leave his post immediately. Rama believes he has enough time to ask for his extension.

Rama said he no longer wants to lose another of his best officer like what happened to former City Treasurer Ofelia Oliva and former Cebu City Fire Marshal Aderson Comar.

He said he is not discounting the possibility that his political enemies have their hands on the transfer of two of his trusted officers.

“Kaduha na ni nila gibuhat. Kuhaan man gyud ko nila og mga maayong tawo,” Rama said. (They did this twice already, they want to take away my best men.)

Rama picked Buenafe as the head of CPPO when he took over as mayor of Cebu City.

He earlier said that if the previous CPPO directors were extended for several terms, he sees no problem if Buenafe can also be extended.     - THE FREEMAN