By PNA
GENERAL SANTOS CITY — The Police Regional Office (PRO)-12 relieved over the weekend the chiefs of police of South Cotabato province and Polomolok town following the death of a tribal heritage and environmental advocate in a police operation on October 31.
Senior Supt. Manuel Lukban Jr., chief of the PRO-12 directorial staff, said Monday the relief of Senior Supt. Nestor Salcedo, South Cotabato police director, and Supt. Jose Mari Simangan, Polomolok police chief, aims to ensure a “fair and impartial” investigation into the police operation in Barangay Polo that led to the death of B’laan “earth warrior” Rodrigo Maslon Samling.
Chief Supt. Eliseo Tam Rasco, PRO-12 director, who issued the relief order last Friday, made it clear that the removal of both officials from their posts was not meant to “degrade or punish them.”
“This is for the sake of transparency and (ensure an) impartial investigation,” Lukban told reporters, adding Rasco only wanted to avoid any perception of “bias in the conduct of the investigation.”
Samling, who reportedly has a standing arrest warrant for rape, was gunned down by joint police operatives after allegedly resisting arrest and engaging them in a shootout during a law enforcement operation.
The operation involved elements from the Polomolok municipal police station, South Cotabato Police Provincial Office, and the Regional Investigation Division.
Lukban said Samling’s family and former Environment secretary Gina Lopez, who had worked with Samling on local environmental projects, sought the investigation on the incident last week.
Lukban said Salcedo was replaced by Senior Supt. Joel Limson, who previously headed the PRO-12’s personnel and human resource development division.
He said Salcedo was reassigned to the regional director’s office and designated as the area supervisor for Sultan Kudarat province, replacing Senior Supt. Noel Kinazo.
Kinazo assumed as the new acting chief of the regional personnel and human resource development division, he said.
Lukban said Supt. Samuel Cadungon, the former deputy city director for operations of the Cotabato City Police Office, replaced Simangan as acting police chief of Polomolok town.
Simangan was reassigned as deputy battalion commander of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion-12, replacing Supt. Romeo Galgo who was designated as the new deputy city director for operations of the Cotabato City Police Office.
