SUMMARY
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BACOLOD CITY, Philippines – The top cop of Negros Occidental and 5 other policemen were relieved from their posts Monday, March 27, after they were allegedly linked to the illegal drug trade.
The sacked officials were:
- Senior Superintendent William Señoron, acting director of Negros Occidental Provincial Police Office
- Superintendent Edel Jose Manzano, chief of Cadiz City Police Station
- Superintendent Antonietto Cañete of Police Regional Office-18 (PRO-18)
- Chief Inspector Edison Garcia of Regional Intelligence Division
- Superintendent Placido Gentoleo of Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO)
- Police Officer 1 Eric Alcosaba of Bacolod Police Station 7
Five of them were transferred to the Regional Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit (RPHAU) while Alcosaba was assigned to the Regional Public Safety Battalion.
The relief order was signed by Chief Superintendent Renato Gumban, acting director of PRO-18 in the Negros Island Region.
Señoron will be replaced by Senior Superintendent Rolando Miranda, chief of Regional Directorial Staff, on a concurrent capacity.
The relieved policemen were mentioned in the supplemental affidavit of the region’s top drug suspect Ricky Serenio, who is believed to be the bagman of the Berya drug group here.
Serenio said the law enforcers were receiving P10,000 to P50,000 protection money every week from their group.
He also claimed that Señoron is receiving monthly payola of P1.2 million from the drug lords in the province.
Alleged involvement in drug trade
On January 13, Serenio executed an affidavit detailing how police officials and other law enforcers were involved in the drug trade in the province.
He also implicated retired Chief Superintendent Conrado Capa, former director of PRO-18, in illegal drugs.
Both Capa and Señoron have denied the allegations of the drug suspect.
Señoron, in a press conference at the Negros Press Club on Tuesday, March 28, stressed he is not questioning his relief order, only the manner of his transfer.
He said the supplemental affidavit of Serenio was “unverified,” adding that the drug suspect has “questionable integrity.”
He said he is not fighting for his career, but for his honor.
Señoron said he will shoot himself in the head in front of the regional headquarters if there’s evidence linking him to illegal drugs, illegal gambling, and other crimes.
He said he believed that “someone with vicious interest is mounting so much pressure on the regional head.”
Gumban, in response, clarified that no one is pressuring him, adding that Señoron’s name already came out when he was still assigned in Iloilo.
“It was only now that someone was brave enough to expose him,” he added.
He said that the relief of the police officials came following the pending investigation on their alleged involvement in drugs, as stated in Serenio’s affidavit.
He added that the sworn statement of the drug suspect was “95% validated” by the intelligence community.
Serenio was arrested on January 8 at Talisay City when he was served a warrant for grave coercion.
The drug suspect was released from detention on March 16 after he posted P720,000 bail for charges of illegal possession of firearms and explosives, and grave coercion.
He was placed under the custody of Moises Padilla Mayor Magdaleno Peña, a Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency consultant, and his son Pulupandan Mayor Miguel Peña after his arrest 3 months ago.
Forty policemen from Bacolod City and Negros Occidental who were allegedly involved in the illegal drug trade were already transferred to the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and Cordillera Administrative Region. – Rappler.com
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