ILOILO – The Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) sacked the entire force of the Anilao, Iloilo police station – 23 policemen including the police chief. The National Police Commission (Napolcom) discovered several infractions such as sleeping while on duty during a surprise visit to the police station on Dec. 6.
The sacking took effect yesterday, a day after Napolcom regional director Joseph Celis conducted an unannounced inspection around 4:44 a.m.
According to Celiz, the lights of the police station were switched off, there was no duty sentinel, and policemen were sleeping.
“And the worst, wala signage. I took a photo of the police station then knocked on the door. Moments later, the police station’s lights were switched on and I saw policemen getting dressed,” Celis told journalists when asked to confirm the PRO-6’s reason for sacking the entire police station force, including Senior Inspector Menrico Candaliza, Anilao police chief.
The regional Napolcom director said he respected the order of Chief Superintendent John Bulalacao, PRO-6 director.
His unannounced inspection, according to Celis, was a way of effectively checking if policemen were indeed doing their jobs.
“Paano na lang kun may emergency? Kun gin-atake kamo? Amo ina ang problema,” said Celis.
Policemen should be alert all the time, he stressed.
“(But h)ow can a person be alert if he is sleeping,” asked Celis.
After inspecting Anilao police station on Thursday, Celis said he checked those of the municipalities of Banate and Barotac Viejo.
Everything was in order in these two police stations, he said.
The sacked policemen were ordered to report to the Personnel Holding Administrative Unit of the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO).
There would be an investigation “purposely to determine kon ano ang liability ng bawat isa,” said Senior Superintendent Marlon Tayaba, IPPO director.
He also announced the appointment of the new Anilao police station chief – Chief Inspector Ciriaco Esquiliarga.
On the other hand, PRO-6’s Regional Personnel and Human Resource Development Division would subject the sacked policemen to a Focused Reformation Orientation and Morale Enhancement for Police Officers program beginning Dec. 10.
Celis said Napolcom, too, would initiate an investigation. He did not discount the possibility that administrative charges may be filed.
“The PRO-6 does not tolerate the laxity and misbehavior of its personnel,” read part of a statement that Camp Delgado – the regional police headquarters – released yesterday.
The sacking of the Anilao police force, it added, should “serve as a lesson to other personnel of the Police Regional Office 6 to religiously comply with their duties and responsibilities as police officers.”
In June this year when Bulalacao assumed as Region 6 police director, he made it clear that policemen, while on duty and in uniform, should not sleep, smoke or text.
This was part of the “organizational discipline” he wanted Western Visayas policemen to adhere, he stressed.
“I was given by our Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Director General Oscar Albayalde, the blanket authority to reshuffle personnel, especially those not performing well and those engaged in illegal activities,” said Bulalacao, a member of the Philippine Military Academy’s Maringal Class of 1988.
The PRO-6, he stressed, must continue to enjoy the public’s trust and confidence.
“My actions shall be anchored on the guidance of the PNP chief emphasizing internal reforms and organizational discipline. Under my watch, I will see to it that organizational discipline is imposed to have integrity and individual reform,” said Bulalacao./PN
