PNP official zips lips on reassignment issue

CEBU, Philippines -  Police Regional Office-7 deputy Regional Director for Operations Senior Superintendent Conrad Capa opted not to further comment about his reassignment after President Benigno Aquino III criticized him for complaining about his new position in Central Visayas.

“Mahirap na mag-comment kasi pangulo na ang nagsalita,” he said.

In a GMA News report, Aquino publicly scolded an unnamed official whom he mentioned as “a person who refused to take a new assignment” during the “Araw ng Parangal sa Kapulisan” of the PNP held yesterday at Camp Crame.

“Matanong ko sa inyo, pwede ba tayo mamili ng assignment? Sama ko na sarili ko, pwede ba ako mamili ng problema?” Aquino said.

Capa’s direct declaration of his disappointment to the media was described by Aquino as a “disservice” to the PNP.

“Dito sa napakaingay na opisyal na ito, sabihin na nating magaling siya, siyempre ang tanong doon, maasahan din ba? At tila nasagot na...maaasahan natin siya kung natutuwa siya. Eh kung di siya natutuwa hindi na siya maasahan. ‘Yun ba ang professional?” he said.

Aquino, on the other hand, lauded 37 policemen for their exemplary service and their “heroic acts” during the said event.

Capa said that he has not entertained questions from any media outfit about such matters.

“Basta ako, trabaho lang. Nakita ninyo na man dito,” he said.

Capa graced the closing ceremonies of the Naga City Police Station Special Weapons and Tactics Training yesterday in Camp Ceperino Genovia, Barangay Bahay, Sibonga town. He also spearheaded the ceremonial pinning of the SWAT pins on the graduates.

Sixty-six police personnel graduated from SWAT training conducted by the Special Action Force of the PNP and mainly sponsored by Naga City Mayor Valdemar Chiong. The first batch of trainees is composed of 50 graduates from the Cebu province and 16 personnel from the Regional Public Safety Battalion-7.

Earlier, Capa said although he was hurt by the decision of the PNP chief, he promised to make Cebu “number one”.

It was last March 19 when Capa arrived to Cebu to formally assume his new post.

While Capa said that he deserved better than his current post in Region 7, the national headquarters said his new assignment is actually a promotion for him. 

Two weeks before his reassignment, Capa led the arrest of property developer Delfin Lee, an alleged housing scammer and one of the top five most wanted persons in the country. He served as the former chief of PNP Task Force Tugis.  —/BRP (FREEMAN)