Sara Duterte keeps city police chief to make him 'feel the pain I feel'

Saying she wants him to feel the pain she feels every day following the deadly Davao City bombing in September, Mayor Sara Duterte decided to keep Sr. Supt.  Michael John Dubria as the city's police chief.

"I have reconsidered my earlier decision and I now want Dubria to stay," said Mayor Duterte, daughter of President Rodrigo Duterte, in a statement Thursday.

"It will be easy for him to transfer to another post and forget what happened the night of September 2, 2016 in Davao City. But, after careful thought, I want him to stay and feel the pain I feel every day. A new City Director would not understand this feeling," she added.

The bombing, which occurred at a busy night market on a Friday, left 15 people dead and 70 others injured, and prompted President Duterte to put the country under state of lawless violence.

Mayor Duterte earlier called for the relief of Dubria but it was delayed because of the failure of the Philippine National Police headquarters to immediately come up with a list of possible candidates to replace him.

PNP chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa finally submitted the names of Senior Supt. Antonino Yarra, Senior Supt. Albert Ocon, and Senior Supt. Milo Pagtalunan as possible replacements.

But Mayor Duterte said replacing Dubria is no longer being considered.

She said Dubria must always be reminded of the terror attack that shocked Dabawenyos and of how the victims and their families are dealing with the loss.

Mayor Duterte earlier admitted having a disagreement with her father over the relief of Dubria and the former chief of Task Force Davao, Col. Henry Robinson Jr. While Robinson accepted his relief from, Dubria held on to his post.

"I don't want him to forget. I want him to learn from it. What I want is that he will function as director of the DCPO guided by the lessons of that terror attack,” she said.

Chief Supt. Manuel Gaerlan, Region 11 director, welcomes Duterte’s decision.

“The PNP, particularly PRO 11, endeavors to have a harmonious working relationship with all local chief executives in our genuine desire to serve the people of Davao. We welcome the decision of the good Mayor,” he said in a text message to GMA News Online.

He said while Senior Supt Michael Dubria offered to resign as city director, it took a while before the Senior Officers Placement and Promotion Board of the PNP could come up with a list of candidate City Directors as required under Republic Acts 6975 and 8551. —KBK, GMA News