26 MPD officials' mass transfer worries Lim

MANILA, Philippines - Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim yesterday expressed apprehension over the planned mass transfer of 26 chief inspectors from the Manila Police District, saying this would create a vacuum in the MPD.

Lim met yesterday with key officers of the MPD, led by its director, Chief Superintendent Roberto Rongavilla and the Manila’s Finest Brotherhood, Inc. (MFBI).

He said the cases being handled by these chief inspectors the Philippine National Police (PNP) plans to assign to Mindanao will be adversely affected, especially those being heard in court.

Lim said he sympathizes with the chief inspectors, who face problems because they do not know the terrain or even the dialect in their new posts.

Lim said he learned that majority of those being transferred are Manila policemen who have served the force for 20 to 30 years already.

Also present at the meeting are MPD deputy director Superintendent Alex Gutierrez, all the station commanders, officers of the MFBI and the chief inspectors or majors affected by the mass transfer.

The MFBI presented a position paper opposing the said transfer, but Lim assured them that he and Rongavilla will make appropriate representations with the PNP.

Lim, a former director of Western Police District (now the MPD), also advised the chief inspectors to write a personal appeal to the PNP hierarchy and cite the reasons in seeking for a reconsideration of the planned transfer.

This was supported by Rongavilla, who said he still does not know the basis for the mass transfer. He said the PNP earlier asked him for a list of all MPD personnel, which he thought was routine, but he did not foresee the transfer.