Police chief shortlist to be submitted to Pasig mayor

The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) will submit today to Pasig City Mayor Vicente Eusebio the names of five candidates for the city’s new chief of police.

Metro police chief Director Vidal Querol said Eusebio will be selecting the replacement for Senior Superintendent Raul Medina, who was sacked because of the shabu "market" raid last month.

"I will sign the referral and submit the names to Mayor Eusebio today to guide him in his decision," Querol told The Star. "It is the mayor who has the final say."

He clarified that should Eusebio want a police official not included in his list, he would recall his referral.

Eusebio said he welcomes any recommendation made by the Philippine National Police (PNP) leadership.

"Kahit sino basta decision ng PNP, walang problema sa akin," Eusebio said.

Following the relief of Medina, his deputy for administration Senior Superintendents Romeo Abaring was named officer-in-charge of the Pasig police force.

Abaring, a classmate of Medina from the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) Class ’80, joins Senior Superintendents Jun Cruz, Danilo Pelisco, Ramon de Jesus and Leo Garra in the list.

Cruz, of the Philippine Military Acacdemy Class ‘82, is Querol’s public information officer; Pelisco, of PMA ’84, is the NCRPO’s head for personnel; Garra is the current Caloocan City police chief; and De Jesus, a former Manila police station commander, is on floating status.

Garra, a lawyer, is a protégé of Director Marcelo Ele Jr., commander of the Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force that carried out the raid at the Pasig drug compund on last Feb. 10.