6 MPD officials sacked

MANILA, Philippines - Six Manila Police District (MPD) officials were relieved from their posts Monday.

One of these officials is Superintendent James Afalla, whose station covers Sampaloc, where Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada and his slate were pelted with bottles and rocks during one of their campaign sorties last May.

Afalla was temporarily replaced by Chief Inspector Ariel Caramdan.

Following the incident, Estrada was quoted as saying that this has never happened to him, not even when he was shooting his films.

Aside from Afalla, five other police officials were removed from their posts by MPD director Chief Superintendent Isagani Genabe Jr.

Superintendent Remegio Sedanto, commander of the Sta. Ana station, was replaced by Chief Inspector Dondon Austria.

MPD spokesman Chief Inspector Erwin Margarejo replaced Superintendent Ferdinand Quirante as Station 5 commander. Margarejo is now concurrent head of District Police Community Relations Division.

Also removed from their posts were Superintendents Frumencio Bernal III of the District Operations and Plans Division, Francisco Putong Gabriel of the District Investigation Division and Edgar Ferrater, the secretary of the Directorial Staff.

They were replaced by Superintendent Froilan Uy, Superintendent Fernando Opelanio and Chief Inspector Claire Cudal, respectively.

Also last Monday, Genabe sacked 432 police officers who did not attend the flag-raising ceremony.