Region 12 top cops get new assignments

GENERAL SANTOS CITY—Six top police officials in Region 12 have received new assignments as part of a reshuffle being implemented by the regional police command.

Senior Supt. Manuel Lukban, the PRO-12 regional director, said Tuesday the reorganization took effect over the weekend based on a directive issued by the Philippine National Police (PNP) central office.

The police directors of this city and North Cotabato, Senior Superintendents Romeo Ruel Berango and Jonathan Tangonan, were relieved from their posts and ordered to report to the PNP personnel holding and accounting unit in Camp Crame, Lukban said.

“They were called up and assigned to Camp Crame along with officers from other regions,” Lukban told reporters.

Some of the recalled officers were from the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and the Police Regional Office-10, or Northern Mindanao, he said.

The police official said the reorganization was consistent with the directive of PNP Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa to remove, relieve and designate police officers and personnel.

Berango, who served as city police director for eight months, was replaced by Senior Supt. Raul Supiter, the previous provincial director of Sultan Kudarat.

Senior Supt. Maximo Layugan, chief of PRO-12 Regional Logistics and Research Development Division (RLRDD), assumed as acting chief of the North Cotabato police in liue of Tangonan.

Senior Supt. Joseph Semillano was assigned as the new acting chief of the Sultan Kudarat police, while Senior Supt. Oscar Nantes took over as chief of the RLRDD.

Berango said he is scheduled to report to Camp Crame on Tuesday next week, April 3.

The former city police director said he has duly accomplished his assigned tasks here, especially in terms of peace and order.

He said the city maintained an orderly environment under his leadership and the city police was able to implement various programs and projects on matters of peace and security in coordination with the local government.

Supiter, who was accompanied by Berango in a visit to the city hall on Monday afternoon, said he will focus his efforts in addressing the unsolved shooting incidents and the problem on children in conflict with the law (CICLs), who are known locally as “sukarap.”

He said the concern on the CICLs in the city has turned complicated and led to other problems like illegal drugs.

The police official cited an earlier murder case that involved some CICLs as principal suspects.

“This will only worsen and can lead to other serious problems if not addressed properly,” he said.

As initial move, Supiter said he will come up with a database of CICLs at the purok and barangay levels. (PNA)