Cop chief: Relief order expected

CEBU, Philippines - The chief of the Dumanjug Police Station said he was not surprised with the order of Dumanjug Mayor Nelson Garcia relieving him from office.

Senior Inspector Arvi Arbuis said this move is not news to him anymore after his stint with Garcia administration.

“I was not surprised kay as per record, I was the 13th COP (chief of police) in Dumanjug since paglingkod niya (Garcia). So that is the power of the local chief executive, to choose his full trusted chief of police,” said Arbuis.

Arbuis, however, clarified that the relief order was not because of the strafing incident in Barangay Masa, Dumanjug last week, involving the vehicle of the town’s vice mayoralty candidate Rene Asentista.

He said even before the strafing incident, Garcia already requested to the police provincial director, Senior Superintendent Gillamac, for his relief.

He said Garcia has reassumed after serving suspension last November 5. By November 9, Arbuis said, there was already a relief request.

Cebu Provincial Police Office has already sent five names to Garcia for him to consider as the next chief of police.

However, Senior Superintendent Noel Gillamac, CPPO director, said it is not a guarantee that Arbuis will be relieved immediately because of the pending investigation into the strafing incident.

No violence, please

The recent strafing in Dumanjug has prompted the Archdiocese of Cebu to call on political aspirants not to be impassioned by the 2016 elections.

Cebu Auxiliary Bishop Dennis Villarojo said elections should be promoting development and not violence.

“We would like to appeal to everybody to keep their passion and not to be impassioned too much by the elections,” he said.

Villarojo also urged candidates to “stay at the level of issues and present platforms of governance.”

Voters, on the other hand, are encouraged to evaluate the performance of their candidates, as well as their track records.

“Let us make elections a way to move forward in the development of our country by being conscientious and by knowing our candidates,” he said.

“Elections should be the time for rational thinking and spiritual reflection so that whoever would be elected would truly serve the development of our country and the common good,” he added. — (FREEMAN)