Ecija police chief charged before Ombudsman

CABANATUAN CITY , Philippines  – The provincial director of the Philippine National Police in Nueva Ecija has been charged before the Office of the Ombudsman for allegedly designating an OIC-station commander in San Antonio town more than the period allowed by law.

Senior Superintendent Ricardo Marquez is now facing charges of grave misconduct and gross neglect of duty in a three-page complaint filed before Ombudsman Dennis Villa-Ignacio by San Antonio Mayor Arvin Salonga, president of the provincial chapter of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines.

Salonga is the same local chief executive who also haled to court in 2007 then-PNP provincial director senior superintendent Agripino Javier for reportedly failing to consult municipal mayors before designating police station commanders in their respective jurisdictions.

Javier, the first provincial director in the post-Joson era at the Capitol, is the husband of Lani Javier, who unsuccessfully challenged Salonga in the 2007 mayoral race. 

Marquez said he is withholding comment on the complaint until he has received a copy from the Ombudsman.

In his complaint which was furnished The STAR, Salonga accused Marquez of willfully and unlawfully designating Chief Inspector Arnold Palomo as officer-in-charge of the San Antonio police in violation of RA 6975, or the PNP Law. Aside from being the station commander of San Antonio, Palomo is also the chief of the provincial special reaction team of the Nueva Ecija police.