Miagao police chief axed over P7-M cocaine fiasco
Insp. Fernando Limbongan, chief of Miagao Police Station, has been relieved from his post a day after anti-narcotics agents seized P7 million worth of cocaine from town resident Carlito Buen Jr.
Chief Supt. Cipriano Querol, police regional director, said he ordered Limbongan’s relief effective yesterday because of his failure to monitor Buen’s illegal drug activities in Miagao.
He was replaced by Insp. Abner Lamera of the 1st Mobile Group based in Tigbauan, Iloilo.
Limbongan was not around when Querol arrived at Miagao Police Station with reporters at around 9:30 a.m.
When he arrived minutes later, Limbongan was in civilian clothes and was wearing slippers.
Querol said that as police chief, Limbongan should always stay at the station and should know the events in his area of responsibility.
“He failed to monitor the big volume of drugs in his area. What a negligence of duty,” he said.
Buen’s drug dealing activities was instead learned by Guimbal Police Station which then informed the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency 6.
Agents of PDEA 6 together with Guimbal policemen conducted a buy-bust operation against Buen, a former seaman, at around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday.
Limbongan was ordered to explain to Senior Supt. Gil Lebin, director of Iloilo Provincial Police Office, his absence from the police station during the drug raid and why he was not wearing uniform when he was asked to report.
“He is administratively relieved while he is being investigated,” Querol said.*
