By Ashley Manabat / Correspondent
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO—The police chief of this capital city, who was earlier commended for bringing down the crime rate in the city, was sacked for her alleged “underperformance” in an anticrime drive launched by Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II.
Supt. Rechie Duldulao was replaced by Supt. Jean Fajardo, former chief of police of Lubao, who has been designated as officer in charge of this city’s police command.
Appointments to command and other positions in the National Police are on “officer in charge” (OIC) capacity, owing to the fact that the force is now commanded by an officer in charge, Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina, while the Central Luzon police command is also led by an OIC, Chief Supt. Ronald Santos.
OICs cannot appoint subordinate commanders in a permanent or acting capacity.
Senior Supt. Rodolfo Recomono Jr., Pampanga police command OIC, said the revamp is part of the normal process, especially for chief of police (COP), who have reached a two-year term in their respective assignments.
Mayor Edwin “Edsa” S. Santiago said Duldulao served well during her stint as COP of the city which earned her a citation from the city, government.
Santiago said Duldulao was responsible for the decline in the crime rate in the city with the apprehension of a number of criminals, including the notorious six-man carjacking syndicate, who were arrested at a police check point on the MacArthur Highway in front of the Jomafer Supermarket here last month.
Duldulao was also responsible for the arrest of a holdup gang at Northville Subdivision and the arrest of members of the notorious group of porch climbers.
Duldulao, however, was relived as chief of this city’s police command for the alleged below-par performance in the Oplan Lambat-Sibat anti-crime campaign—a brainchild of Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II.
“I cannot sidestep the National Police process [of reshuffles],” Santiago said when asked for his reaction on the relief of Duldulao, despite a citation from the city government.
Santos admitted that, despite the poor performance of the police officials affected by the reshuffle, the crime incidents in the region dropped by almost 30 percent.
Also affected in the revamp in the province were the Guagua COP Supt. Angelito Esteban, and the provincial command intelligence chief, Supt. Raquel Linggayu, who was designated as Lubao police chief.
In Marilao, Bulacan, Supt. Marcos Rivero was relived as police chief. Senior Insp. Marlo Dangarang, police chief of Abucay, Bataan, was also relieved after failing the audit conducted by the National Police’s Directorates for Investigation and Detective Management and for Operations.