ILOILO CITY — Fifteen police officers, including the chief of police assigned at the Sara Municipal Police Station in Sara, Iloilo, were relieved from their posts.
This was confirmed by Senior Superintendent Marlon Tayaba, provincial director of the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) in an interview, adding the full relief took effect Tuesday.
Only six personnel remained at their posts, he said.
Tayaba said the policemen were relieved for abandoning their posts during his previous inspections of the police station.
He said he has conducted three surprise inspections at the police station. “I have only found few police personnel there,” he said.
Tayaba said some of the reasons of these policemen for leaving their duty were they went home to get something, went to schools and others attended to their personal needs.
Tayaba said the Sara Police Station has a low accomplishment in their campaign against all forms of criminality, which resulted to the spike in crime incidents.
The relieved policemen were reassigned to the different municipal police stations in the province.
The new chief of police of the municipal police station is Senior Inspector Ascencion Ortizo.
Last week, Tayaba reiterated his reminder among policemen in the province not to leave their posts and be vigilant against possible attacks of rebels.
He particularly mentioned the 15 municipal police stations considered “high risk” of attacks by the members of New People’s Army (NPA).
These are the towns of Alimodian, Bingawan, Calinog, Guimbal, Janiuay, Igbaras, Lambunao, Lemery, Leon, Maasin, Miag-ao, San Rafael, San Joaquin, Tigbauan and Tubungan as some of their villages are located in the mountainous areas of the province.
The reminder of Tayaba came after the NPAs raided the police station in Lapinig town, Northern Samar last week. (Cindy Ferrer/PNA)
