PRO-6 scouts for new Iloilo City police chief
WANTED: Next director of the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO).
Police Regional Office (PRO) VI is now scouting for a replacement, temporary or otherwise, to replace ICPO director Senior Supt. Melvin Mongcal.
PNP Regional Director Chief Supt. Isagani Cuevas confirmed said that he would be submitting a list of qualified officers with the rank of senior superintendent to the PNP National Headquarters in Camp Crame to be Mongcal’s possible successor.
“It’s really up to Camp Crame to decide,” Cuevas claimed adding that he has no hand in the selection process.
He also did not name the officers who will make it to the list but admitted that it’s as if “nobody desires to be the next Iloilo City police director.”
“It’s hard to recommend someone who is not willing to take the post,” the region’s top cop said.
In the interim, Cuevas said that he would designate ICPO deputy chief Supt. Eugenio Espejo to be the officer-in-charge.
He also confirmed that Mongcal is yet to submit his request for absence claiming that the latter only expressed his intentions verbally.
Cuevas also did not confirm if Mongcal’s request for leave of absence has something to do with Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas’s apparent lack of confidence on Mongcal’s leadership following another attack involving the mayor family-owned bakeshop.
It must be noted that last it was only last March 1 when Mongcal returned from a 15-day sick leave.
But the ICPO chief yesterday claimed that there’s no truth to the grapevines that his request is consonance with Treñas’ asking him to be replaced with a “competent officer.”
“No, I have some problems with my eyes. I have blurred visions if I don’t wear glasses. That’s also the same reason when I took my leave of absence last month,” he explained.
Mongcal said that his Manila-based ophthalmologist advised him for another check-up to determine what could be done to cure his eye ailment.
“And Chief Supt. Isagani Cuevas knew about that. We already talked about it,” he claimed.
The city police chief said that he’s just waiting for the availability of his ophthalmologist before he could finalize the inclusive dates of his leave.
Just the other day, Mongcal claimed that would have no second thoughts in relinquishing his post as ICPO director amid the apparent distrust of no less than Treñas on his capacity.
“Ako, basta may legal order, anytime, I would step down from post,” Mongcal was quoted.
