ILOILO CITY — Two municipal police stations in Iloilo province were found to be left unmanned during a surprise inspection of the National Police Commission 6 (Napolcom-6 or in Western Visayas).
Lawyer Joseph Celis, Regional Director of Napolcom-6, said the unmanned police stations are in the towns of Ajuy and Barotac Nuevo.
Celis said that he conducted unannounced inspection in Barotac Nuevo last May 23 and found only the desk officer present.
Celis said the situation in Barotac Nuevo “was way better” than what he found during his surprise visit to the police station of Ajuy on May 24 which was “abandoned”.
“They were not around,” he said in an interview on Tuesday.
Prior to his surprise visit, Celis said that these two police stations had their complete number of personnel during his regular inspection.
“They are complete because regular inspection was announced. “But I came back the next day for a spot inspection to check again,” he added.
Celis said that they are still preparing the necessary actions against the police stations.
He said this kind of incidents in said police stations can be considered “gross neglect of duty” on the part of policemen.
Barotac Nuevo police station is headed by Chief Insp. Reymund Celoso while Ajuy police station is headed by Chief Insp. John Van Herson Luspo.
Celis said that he already talked with Senior Supt. Marlon Tayaba, provincial director of the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO), so he could also take action on the issue since the stations were under his jurisdiction.
Napolcom-6’s unannounced inspection is in response to the recent call of Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director Oscar Albayalde to conduct surprise inspection in police stations to assess their operational readiness.
While Napolcom 6 is already finished with the two police stations, Celis said that other police stations “need not to be reminded or warned if they know their responsibilities as public servants.” (PNA)
