By IVY TEJANO
DAVAO CITY – The city council passed a resolution on Tuesday, July 16, asking the Police Regional Office-11, Davao City Police Office, and the Department of the Interior and Local Government to explain the inconsistent appointment of the police chief here.
ACOSTA (FB)
Authored by first district Councilor and lawyer Luna S. Acosta, chairperson of the Committee on Peace and Public Safety, a three-page resolution was passed during the regular session to explain to the people here the inconsistent appointment of the DCPO director last week.
The City Council invited PRO-11 chief police Brig. Gen. Nicolas D. Torre III, DCPO acting director Police Col. Hansel Marantan, and DILG-Davao City head Vicky Sarcena to respond to the resolution and enlighten the people on the abrupt changes.
Police Col. Lito Patay was appointed the new DCPO head, succeeding Police Col. Rolindo Suguilon. Patay was replaced by Police Col. Sherwin Butil hours after he assumed office. Butil had barely warmed his seat when the PRO-11 said Police Col. Hansel Marantan had replaced him.
Acosta said in her privilege speech that the constant change from one city police chief directly to another in 30 days raised important questions. She added that she would be remiss as committee chair on peace and public safety if she did not demand answers.
“Why do we allow the rule of law to be perverted and taken advantage of in exchange for Davao City’s peace and public safety? This is a call for the Police Regional Office-11 to explain. Make it make sense. The Davaoeños deserve an explanation,” Acosta said.
Acosta cited Republic Act 8551 or the Philippine National Police Reform and Reorganization Act of 1998 which grants the city mayor the power and authority to select a chief of police from a list of five eligibles recommended by the police regional director, preferably from the same city.
Section 64 of the RA 8551 also states that city mayors, upon having been elected and living qualified as such, are automatically deputized as representatives of the PNP commission in their respective jurisdiction.
Mayor Sebastian Duterte echoed the same sentiment on the abrupt changes in the DCPO and the PNP. He said the PNP informed him of Patay’s replacement but he was not informed about Butil and did not know about Marantan.
Acosta said Marantan was not Duterte’s choice and was not even on the shortlist presented to the city mayor. She added that the PNP national headquarters provided Marantan’s appointment as stated in his letter, citing the RA 6975 or the DILG Act of 1990.
“Considering that the process for the appointment of the current chief of police is not based on a national law and that his appointment is in an acting capacity, would it mean that a change in the appointment of DCPO chief will occur after the passing of more or less 30 days?” Acosta asked.
She emphasized that when appointing the chief of police, the move needs to follow what is stated in RA 6975, as amended by RA 8551, which explicitly states that the city mayor has the authority to choose the chief of police.
Acosta said Davao City will celebrate its 39th Kadayawan Festival next month and host various activities, such as the Ironman 70.3 Davao Philippines. With the number of people in this event, she questioned the police’s word to ensure everyone’s safety with their recent status.
“This unprecedented circumstance is not just a matter of administrative reshuffling. It represents a critical moment for our city. It casts a cloud on the foundation laid down by the pioneers who have come before us in peace and public safety, which everyone has been proud of,” she said.
Acosta said ensuring peace and public safety has been one of the priorities of the local government unit (LGU) of Davao, which is a city known to be one of the safest cities in the Philippines and Southeast Asia based on Numbeo’s Southeast Asia Safety Index 2023.