Gen. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), vowed on Tuesday, Aug. 31, swift action on the recommendation to dismiss five policemen tagged in a questionable shootout that killed Calbayog City Mayor Ronald Aquino in March this year.
It was the Internal Affairs Service which recommended the dismissal of Police Lt. Col. Harry Sucayre, Police Maj. Major Shyrille Tan, Police Lt. Julio Armeza Jr., Police Senior Staff Sergeant Niel Cebu and Police Corporal Edsel Omega.
It was the Internal Affairs Service which recommended the dismissal of the five policemen based on the investigation it conducted amid the allegations that Mayor Aquino was ambushed by the local policemen.
The rest of the policemen administrative charged for grave offense were exonerated.
Eleazar said the IAS recommendation is currently at the Directorate for Personnel Records and Management, specifically its the Discipline, Law and Order Division or DLOD.
The DLOD is in charge of the review of all IAS investigations and recommendations. It could affirm or reverse the IAS recommendation.
As soon as the DLOD review is done, its own review and recommendation, as well as the IAS documents, will be turned over to the Office of the Chief PNP for further review and approval. The Chief PNP could either affirm, reject or amend the recommendation.
Eleazar, for his part, vowed to swiftly act on the case as he revealed that he has not yet received the case folder on the Calbayog City incident.
Aside from Aquino, four other people died in the incident, the Mayor's driver and three policemen.