ILOILO CITY – Col. Joeresthy Coronica, newly appointed chief of the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO), on Monday, Jan. 30, warned policemen here with ties to the illegal drugs trade.

COL. Joeresthy Coronica, newly appointed chief of the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO), addresses local police personnel. (ICPO PIO)

“During the flag ceremony, I reminded our personnel that they should be careful with who they are friends with. There are insinuations that some policemen are in cahoots with other illegal drug operators,” said Coronica.

“There’s a tendency that police become very abusive, especially in connection with their friends,” Coronica told the Manila Bulletin in a phone interview.

Coronica’s issued the warning after Brig. Gen. Leo Francisco, director of the Police Regional Office (PRO)-6, sacked the entire City Drug Enforcement Unit (CDEU) and the Mandurriao Police Station of the ICPO.

Francisco had earlier claimed that the PRO-6 DEU successfully nabbed 32 people in a buy-bust operation in Barangay Bakhaw in Mandurriao District known as a drug haven and not the ICPO.

Francisco gave Coronica the authority to assign personnel to the CDEU and Mandurriao Police Station.

Coronica reminded police to maintain discipline at all times.

He is also eyeing to intensify mobile patrols in response to Mayor Jerry Treñas here who sought additional police visibility to deter street crimes some of which were recorded and went viral online.

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New Iloilo City police chief warns cops with ties to illegal drugs trade

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