BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The officer-in-charge of the EB Magalona Police Station in Negros Occidental was relieved May 15 hours after some of his men were caught sleeping on the job by Napolcom regional director Joseph Celis, during a surprise inspection around midnight Friday.
P/Lt. Abegael Donasco, deputy spokesperson of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office, confirmed the relief of P/Lt. John Paul Tabujara as OIC of the EB Magalona Police Station.
Tabujara, who had served for 45 days since April 1, was replaced by Capt. Eric Doronilla, deputy chief of the NOCPPO Operations Branch.
INVESTIGATED
Donasco said the policemen caught sleeping while on duty are now being investigated by NOCPPO. But they will continue to render duty and ordered to explain why they were not at the posts during the inspection, she added.
Tabujara, who was reassigned to the Provincial Holding Accounting Unit of NOCPPO, thanked the municipal government and his fellow police officers for their support while he was the OIC of the town police.
He said it is the Saraviahanons who will judge the performance of the EB Magalona police under his command.
‘DISMAL SIGHT’
Celis posted on his social media account a narrative of the dismal sight that greeted him at the EB Magalona Police Station.
“Arrived at EB Magalona Police Station, Negros Occidental at 11:03 p.m. There is no Desk Officer and Sentinel. It took five minutes for one policeman to wake up. The other three are still fast asleep. Literally, they are not performing their duties. There is no Official Duty Detail Order issued”, Celis posted on Facebook.
He also noted the less than impressive state of the station and the stinky smell.
“The smell of the station is stinky with pee and the premises dirty. Moreover, the old serviceable police vehicle blocks the other passageway and the gates are just open”, Celis added.
15-MINUTE WAIT
After 15 minutes of waiting, Celis said the police officers in the station finally woke up and changed to their uniforms.
He noted that the police chief and his deputy “were nowhere to be found”.
EB Magalona Mayor Marvin Malacon said the concerned policemen should face whatever sanctions will be imposed by the PNP hierarchy. He added that the municipal government has been extending its all-out support to them.
“What had happened was a lesson, not only to the PNP, but to all of us. We’re given our mandate and we have to perform our obligations,” Malacon said.
He added that the problem is not with the organization, but with some PNP personnel. Malacon stressed the need to discipline them.
Meanwhile, Celis said he did not find any problem at the city police stations of Silay and Talisay, which he also visited after stopping by EB Magalona.
The sentinel and desk officers were performing their duties, including police chiefs Lt. Col. Robert Petate and Maj. Jigger Gimeno, he said.
Petate rendered duty for three months straight at the Silay City Police Station, where he had been staying, Celis said. He also noted that the city police stations of Victorias, Sagay, and Cadiz, as well as Manapla, have been doing well.*
