Iligan mayor to file complaint vs Region 10 police director

ILIGAN CITY – Mayor Celso G. Regencia bared plans to file a complaint against Philippine National Police (PNP) Region 10 Director Chief Supt. Timoteo G. Pacleb before the Office of the Ombudsman for grave abuse of authority for ordering the relief of former Iligan City Police Director Sr. Supt. Manuel Sukarno Alvarez.

Regencia said he will be filing the complaint after Pacleb allegedly disregarded his preference for Alvarez to be named city police director.

"Dili ako ang nag-abusar sa akong gahum kundi sila" (It's not me who abuses my power but them),” he averred.

Last September 21, Pacleb sent a letter to Regencia, referring a memorandum from the PNP Directorate for Personnel and Record Management (TDPRM), which endorsed the recommendation of the PNP chief as Iligan City police director.

The memorandum also said the PNP chief recommendee should come from a list of eligible police commissioned officers (PCOs), which included Alvarez.

On October 2, Regencia said he replied to Pacleb to inform him that he had chosen Alvarez to be designated as full-time Iligan City police director.

But on October 29, the mayor said he received a copy of a letter from TFPRM to Pacleb, terminating the designation of Alvarez of Iligan City police director, designating Sr. Supt. Rene Pinzon Solidarious as his replacement in an acting capacity.

Alvarez was reportedly relieved on the grounds that his performance was “below-par, and sub-standard”.

Regencia alleged that Solidarious’ name was not in the list of recommendees for Iligan City Police Chief from which he was made to choose from.

According to the mayor, the PNP violated its own rules by giving the position to another man whose name was not included in the list.

He added that he was aware of his limitation as the city’s chief executive, and precisely followed the rule when he chose from the five contenders to the post.