PNP chief Marbil defends Davao City Police reshuffle

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police General Rommel Marbil on Friday defended the series of reassignments in Davao City Police Office after Mayor Baste Duterte questioned the moves.

“Just a normal process po yung ginagawa natin. Nag-mass relief din tayo today sa Laguna. Normal po yung ginagawa natin. May hinahabol po kaming performance indicator,” he said

(What we are doing is just a normal process. We also did mass relief today in Laguna. It's a normal process. We are observing a performance indicator.)

“Ang sabi ko kay General (Nicolas) Torre, call po niya to really reshuffle yung mga tao natin to meet the standard na gusto natin mas malapit po at mas maramdaman ng tao yung police,” he added.

(I told General Torre, it’s his call to really reshuffle our people to meet the standard that we want the police to be closer to the people.)

As Police Regional Office 11 director, Police Brigadier General Nicolas Torre III was the one who imposed the relief and reassignment of many police officials in the city.

Mayor Baste Duterte criticized the changes in the Davao City Police Office, saying that the moves “will not help in sustaining the city’s peace and security situation.”

“The mass relief of police officials, including the City Police Director, the head of the Special Operations Group, and 19 station commanders, assigned in Davao City will not help in sustaining the city’s peace and security situation,” Duterte said.

In May, 35 police officers of the Davao City Police Office including its chief, Police Colonel Richard Bad-ang, were relieved to give way to the investigation into drug-related killings in the city.

Bad-ang was replaced by Police Region Office (PRO) 11 deputy regional director Police Colonel Rolindo Suguilon, according to Fajardo.

Last June, three police officials and 12 others were relieved over alleged violations in serving the arrest warrant against Pastor Apollo Quiboloy.

One of the relieved officials was PRO 11 director Police Brigadier General Aligre Martinez.

Martinez was replaced by Police Brigadier General Nicolas Torre III as the PRO 11 director. Torre pulled Suguilon from the Davao City Police Office.

On Wednesday, the Davao City Police leadership was transferred to three different officers in just one day: the post went first to Police Colonel Lito Patay then to Police Colonel Sherwin Butil and finally to Police Colonel Hansel Marantan.

PRO 11 spokesperson Police Major Catherine dela Rey said that Marantan's appointment was on the directive of Marbil.

On Thursday, the PNP said the recent series of reassignments in the Davao City Police Office are not politically motivated.

Officials are selected based on their potential contribution to the programs of the PNP, the police organization said.