The Palawan police chief was sacked from his post after a series of shootings in the province that include the assassination of lawyer Eric Jay Magcamit and the attempt to kill an engineer in a span of one week.
Police Brig. Gen. Pascual Muñoz, director of the Mimaropa (Mindoro Oriental and Occidental, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan) police, said the relief of Police Col. Dionisio Bartolome is aimed at ensuring that new strategies will be implemented to maintain peace and order in Palawan.
Bartolome was replaced by Police Col. Nicolas Torre III, former spokesman of the Batangas Police Provincial Office and the director of the Batangas City police.
Torre is currently the No. 3 three man of MIMAROPA police as he is the deputy regional director for operations.
“Police Col. Dionisio Bartolome was relieved from his post as Provincial Director of Palawan Police Provincial Office due to the series of shooting incidents that happened in his (AOR) Area of Responsibility that prompted the Regional Headquarters to temporarily take over for the immediate solution of the said shooting incidents cases,” said Muñoz.
“The said relief and designation orders issued by the Regional Headquarters were the result of the immediate and appropriate actions of the Regional Headquarters to help lessen the fear of Palaweños,” he added.
Muñoz said that Torre will remain as Mimaropa police deputy regional director for operations. Bartolome was also stripped of the leadership of Special Investigation Task Force "Magcamit."
But Muñoz said Bartolome was tasked to continue assisting in the investigation of the death of Magcamit.
“He will assist Col. Torre in the early solution of the said case,” he said.
Magcamit was shot dead while on his way to a court in Palawan last Nov. 16. The motorcycle-riding gunmen first threw a rock on his vehicle and when he stopped to check the damage, he was repeatedly shot as soon as he alighted the vehicle.
The killing was captured in the dashcam of Magcamit’s vehicle.
Last Nov. 20, a gunman shot and wounded Engr. Gregorio Baluyut, the Municipal Planning Officer of Rizal, Palawan, in front of his house.