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[av_heading heading=’Drug-linked Negros Occ. top cop questions relief’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY MAE SINGUAY
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Tuesday, March 28, 2017
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BACOLOD City – Senior Superintendent William Señoron, director of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (Nocppo) whom an illegal drug suspect tagged to the illicit trade, was relieved from his post.
Señoron questioned the relief order from Chief Superintendent Renato Gumban, Police Regional Office 18 (PRO-18) director. While compelled to follow, he “doubt(s) the wisdom of the order.”
“I do not know what pressure forced our regional director to relieve me,” Señoron said in a radio interview after the order was released on Monday.
“My relief order should have come from Camp Crame (Philippine National Police national headquarters) because I am a third-level officer,” he said. “What is the legal basis of the regional office?”
Six other officers were relieved: Superintendent Edel Jose Manzano of Nocppo; Superintendent Placido Gentoleo and Police Officer 1 Eric Alcosaba of the Bacolod City Police Office; Chief Inspector Edison Garcia of the PRO-18 Intelligence Division; and Superintendent Antonietto Cañete and Chief Inspector Rocky Desear of the PRO-18.
Except Desear, all the relieved police officers were named in a supplemental affidavit of former Berya drug group member Ricky Serenio, said Senior Inspector Armilyn Vargas, PRO-18 spokesperson.
Señoron, Manzano, Gentoleo, Cañete, and Garcia were now detailed at the Regional Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit, while Alcosaba was placed under the Regional Public Safety Battalion.
Desear, who was from Manila before he was detailed at the PRO-18, was reassigned at Nocppo.
Gumban assigned Senior Superintendent Rolando Miranda as Nocppo officer-in-charge in addition to his being acting regional chief directorial staff.
The beleaguered Señoron called on Nocppo personnel “not to lose hope because we all know how to do our jobs.”
“The moment you are relieved because of drugs, people think you are really involved even if it is still being investigated,” he said, lamenting the potential impact on his image. “It’s like you are already convicted.”
The police official feels “bad” that his more than 30 years in law enforcement “will end just because of this issue.”
Señoron claimed Mayor Magdaleno Peña of Moises Padilla town is backing Serenio. “Ricky Serenio won because of…Peña,” he said. “The truth shall prevail. But what is the use of it if you are already humiliated? Peña won by relieving me.”
“I have nothing to prove because the burden of proof is with them,” Señoron insisted. “This time, I am not fighting for my career but…for my honor.”
Peña has filed charges against police officers who raided his house in Pulupandan in 2013 when he was the town’s mayor. Señoron was one of the officers.
Before Serenio was released from jail on March 16 after posting bail for his grave coercion charge, he was placed under the custody of Peña in January on the order of Regional Trial Court Branch 54.
Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr., who pushed for Señoron to be provincial police director, cannot be reached for comment as of press time./PN
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