Albayalde orders relief of Negros Oriental police chief amid slays

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police General Oscar Albayalde on Wednesday ordered the relief of Negros Oriental Provincial Police Director Colonel Raul Tacaca from his post amid the series of killings in the province.

PNP spokesman Brigadier General Bernard Banac confirmed that Tacaca has been relieved from his position to give way to an impartial probe on possible lapses by his administration in light of the killings in the past few days.

Police Regional Office 7 Brigadier General Debold Sinas will designate an officer-in-charge in the area, Banac said.

According to Albayalde, he assigned Police Colonel Angelito Dumangeng as the officer-in-charge in concurrent capacity.

Albayalde ordered the deployment of more than 300 troops from the Special Action Force to the island of Negros to help security forces in maintaining peace and order in the area.

Twenty were reported killed including four police intelligence officers who were allegedly summarily executed by communist rebels. —KG, GMA News