Dismissal of PRO-8 director confirmed

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines— Chief Superintendent Elmer Soria, head of the Philippine National Police Civil Security Group in Camp Crame, yesterday confirmed that Chief Superintendent Asher Dolina, then director of the Police Regional Office-8, was already dismissed from service.

Soria, a former PRO-8 director himself, was in Leyte where he spoke during a monthly distinguished visitor activity at PRO-8, as guest of honor.

PRO-8 officer-in-charge director, Chief Superintendent Cedric Train also made the confirmation to The Freeman about Dolina’s dismissal from the police service, along with 17 other top officials of the PNP over alleged irregularities in the purchase of rubber boats for the PNP Marine Unit, six years ago.

Dolina was at the time the head of the bids and awards committee in the purchase of the rubber boats, which were later found to be anomalous.

Train, in a chance interview, said the dismissal order was dated November 4, 2015, but the PRO-8 is still waiting for the PNP national headquarters’ decision on who to appoint as the new regional director. “Sila ang nakakaalam sa bagay na ito and we, as good soldiers, will always follow,” he said.

Soria, however, men-tioned Chief Superin-tendent Benjamin Hulipas, former head of the PRO-8s Comptrollership Division, as among those who applied for the now vacant directorship post of PRO-8. He said there are other names that came up but he could not divulge them yet officially because he was not in a position to do so.

Dolina, after receiving the dismissal order from the Ombudsman, took his official leave of office, but while on it, PNP chief, Director General Ricardo Marquez, decided to implement the court order, even as Dolina and his lawyer filed a motion for reconsideration, appealing for its reversal.

Soria admitted that the series of dismissal of PNP top officials in the country had a serious impact to their police career, with the warning to the rest of the officials to take an extra prudence in signing any documents while holding a key position.

“Yes, malaki ang lessons nito for us in the top position. Dapat magtrabaho pa nang husto para maiwasan ang corruption sa gobyerno. I feel sorry for those who were dismissed, but the Ombudsman had ruled out na,” he added.

Other police officials who were also dismissed from service for grave misconduct, were: Chief Superintendents Reynaldo Rafal and Rizaldo Tungala Jr.; Senior Superintendents Ferdinand Yuzon, Cornelio Salinas, Thomas Abellar, Nepomuceno Magno Corpus Jr., Rico Payonga, Alex Sarmiento and Aleto Jeremy Mirasol; Superin-tendents Michael Amor Filart, Job Marasigan and Leodegario Visaya; Chief Inspectors Juanito Estrebor and Renelfa Saculles and Police Officer 3 Avensuel Dy.

Dolina was the chief of the Criminal Investigation Detection Group-National Capital Region before he was named PRO-8 director, for which he served for nine months before the dismissal order came out.

Dolina, for his part, said he is confident he will win in his appeal at the Ombudsman, based on the evidences he presented. He, however, refused to comment on the decision of the PNP chief, saying he could not say anything about his status in the police service. “Hindi ko alam kung ano na ang mangayayari sa akin dito sa position ko.” —Miriam Garcia Desacada (FREEMAN)