PNP sacks Negros Oriental police chiefs over shooting rampage

The Philippine National Police on Monday announced the relief from their posts of the police director of Negros Oriental and the deputy chief of the Sibulan town police station due to command responsibility over a January 9 shooting incident.

“Ngayong araw na ito, na-relieve na po ang provincial director ng Negros Oriental…Kasama po siya sa ni-relieve, yung deputy chief of police,” PNP spokesperson Police Brigadier General Randulf Tuaño said at a press conference.

(Today, the Negros Oriental provincial director was relieved, along with the deputy chief of police.)

He said Police Col. Criscente Tiguelo, Negros Oriental police director, and P/Lt. Rey Mosquiter, the deputy chief of police, were relieved for command responsibility following a deadly shooting incident in which three of their personnel were killed by a fellow PNP officer.

On January 9, Police SSgt. Bonifacio Saycon, a police officer from the Sibulan Municipal Police Station surrendered after he allegedly shot a woman and three other police officers following an altercation at a local bar.

“Sinasabi po niya na meron po mga report na parang pinakakaisahan siya ng mga kasamahan niya sa intelligence unit sa nasabing municipal police station,” Tuaño added.

(He said there were reports that his colleagues in the intelligence unit at the municipal police station were allegedly conspiring against him.)

The suspect was newly assigned to the intelligence unit.

The three cops gunned down were identified as P/Capt Jose Edrohil Cimafranca, the Sibulan chief of police; P/SMSgt. Tristan Chua; and Pat. Rey Albert Temblor.

Citing the findings of an investigation by the Negros Island Region (NIR) police, Tuaño said the incident was likely due to “severe intoxication” among the group.

“Hindi po ma-establish yung talagang motive dahil ayaw magsalita ng suspect po natin. Ina-attribute po sa investigation ng NIR police yun pong severe intoxication po ng nasabing grupo,” he explained.

(The real motive cannot be established because the suspect does not want to talk. The NIR police are attributing the incident to the severe intoxication of the group.)

According to Tuaño, there were derogatory reports against the suspect that are still under verification.

The suspect had also faced a complaint for less grave neglect of duty after failing to attend a court hearing related to the implementation of a search warrant.—MCG, GMA Integrated News