MPD official axed over ‘nauseating’ precinct

MANILA, Philippines - Newly installed National Capital Region Police Office director Chief Superintendent Marcelo Garbo Jr. sacked a Manila Police District (MPD) official Monday for keeping a precinct so dirty that it made stomachs churn.

Garbo went around Manila over the weekend to check on police stations and happened to drop by the Tayuman precinct. Its commander, Chief Inspector Roge­lio Gabat, had been in office for only two days before he was temporarily replaced by his deputy, Inspector Romeo Rocene.

“He did not see police officers. He described the precinct as nauseating,” said Senior Superintendent Gilbert Cruz, who heads the MPD’s directorial staff.

A source told The STAR that Garbo also complained about the precinct’s dirty restroom.

Usually, the only offices that look presentable in police precincts, stations, and headquarters are those that belong to the ranking officials, the source said.

The other rooms – where complainants are entertained – are often dirty and dingy. These offices also reek of sweat, particularly those near the detention cells.

Stray cats and dogs usually go in and out of the police offices while rats and cockroaches are often seen crawling over police desks or their office walls, the source said.

The restrooms more often than not do not have water and are in need of repair, the source said.