ILOILO City – There are no more police stations in Iloilo province with unmanned desks, according to National Police Commission (Napolcom) Region 6 director Joseph Celis.
Napolcom Region 6 discovered unmanned desks at municipal police stations in Barotac Nuevo and Ajuy, and an officer wearing only slippers in Concepcion during inspections on May 24.
“Recently wala na [sang unmanned station desks] because when they hear me touching down the province, all of the stations in the province are awake,” Celis told the press after a July 18 Provincial Peace and Order Council meeting at the Iloilo provincial capitol.
Being a police officer “is no joke,” stressed Celis. “It is a serious commitment. You are duty-bound to stick to your schedule.”
Moreover, aside from making sure no officer is slacking off, Napolcom wants the Filipino police to be as efficient as their Southeast Asian counterparts, said Celis.
“We have to be strict so we can be at par with other Southeast Asian Nations in terms of policing,” he said.
During the May 24 inspection Napolcom discovered that the Ajuy and the Barotac Nuevo police stations did not have desk officers on duty, while Senior Police Officer 1 Agustus Estonila of Concepcion was wearing only slippers while on duty at their station.
Celis said he was leaving it up to Senior Superintendent Marlon Tayaba, provincial police director, whatever disciplinary action he may deem appropriate for the stations’ chiefs of police – Chief Inspector Reymund Celoso of Barotac Nuevo, Chief Inspector John Van Herson Luspo of Ajuy and Chief Inspector Abner Jordan of Concepcion./PN
