MisOcc gov to Marcos: Relieve PRO10 director over alleged resurgence of criminals

Misamis Occidental Governor Henry Oaminal has called on President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. to order the relief of Police Regional Office 10 chief over the alleged inaction on the resurgence of criminals in their area.

In a statement, Oaminal pointed out that PRO10 director Police Brigadier General Benjamin Acorda Jr. allegedly failed to stop the resurgence of the dismantled Kuratong Baleleng and illegal drug personalities.

“We were happy with the drug war of PRRD (former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte), so we really supported him and the Kuratong and illegal drug personalities were dismantled. However, since they cannot hit back at PRRD, I turned out to be their target of concentration,” Oaminal said.

“And because of the political interest of our opponents they aligned with the criminal syndicate and were able to have an ally with some police. That gave them the strength (from resurging),” he added.

Oaminal said the inaction of the police official allegedly caused the life of his running mate former Lopez Jaena Mayor Michael Gutierrez who was killed by a sniper’s bullet last December 22 during a party that also wounded another party mate, Representative Jason Almonte.

He said the previous Misamis Occidental Sangguniang Panlalawigan approved a resolution addressed to acting PNP chief Police Lieutenant General Vicente Danao Jr. for the preventive suspension of Acorda for his alleged failure to conduct thorough investigation in the sniping incident.

“So we are hoping, with the new administration, when the police leadership will be decided, please include our police (director) in the region, he should be pulled out, be investigated and placed in preventive suspension if Director Acorda will not resign or retire,” Oaminal added.

In a statement, Acorda said the PRO10 will not stop doing their job amid the criticisms.

“The allegations of some individuals that your police in Region 10 are inactive are baseless and unfounded. Our records speak itself,” he said.

“We will continue on our law enforcement operations and eliminate all forms of criminalities,” he added.

PRO10 public information office chief Police Lieutenant Colonel clarified that the criminal gang in Misamis Occidental is already inactive.

“For the record, wala pong katotohanan 'yung Kuratong Baleleng na sinasabi sa news. 'Yung criminal gang sa Misamis Occidental inactive po,” she told GMA News Online in a message.

(For the record, there is no truth about the supposed resurgence of Kuratong Baleleng. The criminal gang in Misamis Occidental is already inactive.)

According to her, the provincial director and the chief of police of Ozamiz City can attest to this.—AOL, GMA News