Kidapawan residents complain of town police chief's sacking

COTABATO City, Philippines - Residents of Kidapawan City are ranting over the sudden relief of their chief of police, just a week after he complained the lack of support by the mayor to their crime prevention efforts.

Senior Superintendent Danny Peralta, North Cotabato’s provincial police director, said the order for the bemedalled Superintendent Joseph Semillano to vacate his post was issued by the Region 12 police office in General Santos City.

Sources from the Kidapawan City local government said Semillano caught the ire of Mayor Rodolfo Gantuangco for announcing to media that the police force's anti-criminal efforts has not been getting ample support from the mayor’s office.

Semillano had also complained the insufficient fuel allocation from the local government.

An irate Gantuangco immediately chided Semillano over Catholic station dxND in Kidapawan City for his assertions which local media outfits reported extensively.

Gantuangco also reprimanded Semillano, and called him “pulpol,” a Cebuano term for an inefficient person, during an emergency meeting of the city peace and order council, which the mayor chairs.

Semillano quietly listened to Gantuangco, who unleashed his anger over the issue of lack of support to the police during the meeting.

Members of the media in Kidapawan City and North Cotabato were surprised with Semillano’s relief.

Semillano, in a press briefing Wednesday, said despite the lack of support from the mayor’s office, he and his subordinates managed to arrest 19 wanted persons in the city in three months.

Records obtained from the Kidapawan City police indicated that there has not been a single case of robbery or motorcycle theft in the city for one month until Semillano received the order to vacate his post.

Semillano will be replaced by Senior Superintendent Chino Mamburam, according to sources from the Kidapawan City local government.

Mamburam had previously servce as the city's police chief, but was sacked more than a year abo after at least 50 Moro bandits attempted to rescue Commander Datukan Samad alias Lastikman from the city jail.

Three people, including a responding Red Cross volunteer, were killed in the attack.