Roxas orders NCRPO: Ax underperforming cops

MANILA, Philippines - National Capital Region Police Office chief Director Carmelo Valmoria should fire underperforming police commanders to boost the drive against crime, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Mar Roxas said yesterday.

“What we need here is to raise the ante of their performance. If they cannot keep up with our standards, you should fire them (underperforming PNP officers),” said Roxas. “I do not care who their padrinos (backers) are. We should replace them as soon as possible if they cannot perform according to what is expected of them.”

Roxas also instructed Valmoria to deploy more police officers from the national headquarters and regional public safety battalion to Tondo in Manila, Batasan Hills in Quezon City, Caloocan City and Pasay City, where there have been a reported increase in crimes such as homicide, theft and robbery.

The DILG chief reminded the Metro Manila police to enhance and upgrade the anti-crime campaign to ensure the safety of the general public.

“We have to continuously think of ways to improve further our anti-crime campaign. We must determine if we need to change our anti-crime tools or determine if it’s the leadership that we need to change,” Roxas told Valmoria.  

Last Aug. 15, Valmoria ordered the relief of Superintendent Bernard Tambaoan, Caloocan City police chief “due to certain deficiencies in administrative performance.”

Four days later, Valmoria also relieved Superintendent Luis Rafinan Francisco Jr., Manila Police District’s Station 11 commander, for his failure to reduce crimes in his area of responsibility.

“The leadership of NCRPO has sent a strong signal to all chiefs of police and station commanders in Metro Manila that they will be relieved from their posts if they cannot keep up with their performance to bring down crime incidents in their areas of responsibility,” Roxas said.

On the other hand, Roxas said Police Officer 2 Cesar Tolentino of Caloocan City PNP office, will be given recognition and a promotion for neutralizing two motorcycle-riding men who robbed a gas station along Quirino Avenue in Quezon City last Aug. 17.

Roxas also commended the NCRPO for the arrest of leader Mac Lester Reyes and other three members of a carjacking group operating in Metro Manila and nearby provinces; Arnold Binasoy, one of the most wanted persons in Isabela; and the arrest of Roger Rasaban, the third  most wanted person in Pasay City.

Valmoria has also deployed 932 police trainees in Metro Manila’s five police districts. – With Non Alquitran