CEBU CITY, Philippines – A former Aurora Provincial Police director is the new director of the Cebu City Police Office. The Police Regional Office-7 announced on Friday, December 27, that Police Colonel Engelbert Soriano would take over as director. 

Soriano was appointed the region’s Plans and Operations Management chief only in November.

The city’s last director, Gemma Cruz Vinluan, was relieved on October 31 following the brutal killing of David Navarro, who was the mayor of Clarin, Misamis Occidental. (READ: Who was David Navarro, the mayor from Mindanao killed in Cebu City?) 

The PNP said Vinluan’s relief was to allow the NBI to conduct an independent probe on Navarro’s killing.

Vinluan had only been police director for 3 months before she was relieved.She was the city’s 2nd female police director.

Navarro was shot dead by masked gunmen in broad daylight on October 25, while being held police custody on his way to face inquest proceedings at the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office related to an assault charge.

Soriano was Mayor Edgar Labella’s choice for police chief.

Police Colonel Giovanie Maines had been officer in charge of the city’s police chief prior to Soriano’s appointment. Soriano joined the PNP in 1996 – Rappler.com

(Editor’s note: A previous version of this article said Soriano was a PMA graduate. This has been corrected)