By Nanette Guadalquiver/PNA
BACOLOD CITY — The regional police chief of Western Visayas on Sunday confirmed that the head of the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) has vacated his post after being fired by President Rodrigo Duterte, and a new official has been named to replace him.
Chief Supt. John Bulalacao, director of Police Regional Office-6, in a text message to the Philippine News Agency, said he has designated Senior Supt. Henry Biñas as officer-in-charge of the Bacolod police effective Sunday.
Biñas, who is in Iloilo City, said in a telephone interview that he was preparing to assume the top post of BCPO.
Before his latest assignment, Biñas was chief of the Regional Personnel and Human Resource Development Division of PRO-6 based in Camp Martin Delgado in Iloilo City, and was previously director of Iloilo City Police Office and Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office.
Duterte ordered the relief of Ebreo on Saturday, Jan. 12, after receiving reports of his alleged involvement in illegal drugs.
The Chief Executive named Ebreo and four other police officers here as drug protectors while speaking before an audience in a private function at L’Fisher Hotel in this city.
The four others are Supt. Allan Macapagal, deputy city director for operation; Supt. Ritchie Yatar, chief of City Mobile Force Company; Supt. Nassrudin Tayuan, former team leader of City Drug Enforcement Unit; and Senior Insp. Victor Paulino, former chief of Police Station 3, who was re-assigned to the City Mobile Force Company last month.
The five relieved police officials were told to report to the Regional Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit at the PRO-6 headquarters in Iloilo City.
The relief of Ebreo came 14 months after he assumed post as OIC city police director in November 2017.
In May last year, Ebreo and Paulino were awarded the Philippine National Police Medal of Merit for demonstrating exemplary competence and commendable performance during the operation against notorious drug leader Ramy Poja, the number one most wanted person of Police Station 3, who was killed after a hot pursuit operation in Sitio Sibucao, Barangay Banago.
In 2018, the BCPO seized more than PHP42.157 million worth of shabu in 432 operations.
