No ICPO overhaul, only reshuffling
Instead of total overhauling of police chiefs as announced by Police Regional Office (PRO) 6 director Chief Supt. Isagani Cuevas, only a reshuffling of police officials was implemented by Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) director Sr. Supt. Melvin Mongcal. The reshuffling among the chiefs of police took effect October 21, 2009.
The first three chiefs of police who were relieved from their posts were Chief Insp. Conrado Carganillo of the police precinct 1 (City Proper), Inspector Eliezer Baclagon police precinct 5 (Mandurriao) and Sr. Insp. Federico Silvestre police precinct 6 (Arevalo).
The police chiefs of Jaro, Molo and La Paz remain untouched.
Carganillo was replaced by Silvestre as chief of police of City Proper. Baclagon took over as chief of police of Arevalo and Carganillo was transferred to Mandurriao. Of the three officials, only Baclagon has a short stint in his previous assignment while Carganillo has served more than three years as chief of police precinct 1.
Baclagon only assumed as chief of police of Mandurriao after Chief Inspector Salvador Dagoon was relieved from his assignment.
The revamp of chiefs of police imposed by the Mongcal is contrary to the pronouncement of Chief Supt. Cuevas. In media interviews, Cuevas wants the chiefs of police at the ICPO replaced by new police officials from the Regional Mobile Group (RMG).
Cuevas’s recommendation to replace all the chiefs of police was triggered by unresolved crimes in the city particularly on the Basag Kotse operation and the laxity on the part of the police while on duty.
The problem on the laxity of police officials was addressed by Mongcal by initiating a pre-charge investigation on the members of the police who were found absent during the inspection.
In the initial round of inspections in the various police stations, 19 cops who were supposed to be on duty were absent. There were seven cops from City Proper; seven from La Paz and five from Jaro. The number of cops who are lax in their assignment is expected to increase with the continuous and spot inspections on the different police stations.
