Cariaga wants to be replaced

By LITO RULONA
and NITZ ARANCON
Correspondents

CITY police director Ronnie Francis Cariaga on Tuesday asked Camp Alagar to replace him, a ranking official of the National Police in northern Mindanao confirmed on Wednesday.

Chief Supt. Danilo Maligalig, who is acting police director for Region 10, told a committee of the provincial board that Senior Supt. Cariaga sought his own relief following sharp criticisms towards the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (Cocpo) by councilors.

On Monday, Councilor George Goking called on Camp Alagar to replace the entire city police force as an offshoot of the Oct. 23 kidnapping of former overseas worker Enrique “Eking” Fernandez III allegedly by police officers in Upper Carmen.

Maligalig revealed this even as he told the provincial board that a “tracker team” has been created to find the 33-year old Fernandez.

“We will take into consideration the call of Councilor George Goking to replace police officers at Cocpo. Pero huwag naman all dahil may mga mabubuti pang police officers who are doing their job well,” Maligalig told the provincial board’s committee on peace and order, public safety, police, military and jail matters chaired by Vice Gov. Jose Mari Pelaez.

“Cariaga indeed wants to go at nagpapa-alam na. He wants to be relieved first if ever he would be subjected to an investigation,” Maligalig said.

But Maligalig said Cariaga should stay as city police director and help the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and Camp Alagar in digging deeper into the Fernandez case. He said Cariaga should prove that he did something right.

“Nag-volunteer siya to resign dahil sa challenge hurled by Councilor Goking. It was not proper because there was no pure ground. Kung matapos niya ng maayos, we will extend him,” he said.

Maligalig also said Camp Alagar would start an audit performance of all police officers, and take note of all the cases filed against officers before courts and the People’s Law Enforcement Board (Pleb).

Camp Alagar, he said, has formally filed administrative charges against the five police officers linked to the kidnapping of Fernandez before the National Police Commission (Napolcom).

Charged were Senior Insp. Ereneo Ramirez, SPO2 Jojo Lim, SPO1 Alaindelon Tacubao, PO3 Alejandro Ubanan and PO2 Sangkula Hussein. The five suspects have been arrested and detained at the city jail in Lumbia after they were criminally charged with kidnapping.

Initially, he said, Camp Alagar filed two grave misconduct charges and a complaint for absence without leave (Awol) against the suspects. He said the officers did not report for work from Oct. 25 to Nov. 14.

Maligalig said Camp Alagar would file an additional administrative complaint against the suspects if investigators establish that they were involved in carnapping. The motorcycle used by Fernandez was believed taken by his abductors.

He said the administrative complaints would be resolved faster than the criminal case.

Maligalig said it would likely take only 10 days and by Christmas, the suspects could lose their badges for good.

“Administratively, we have the so-called facie evidence,”

Maligalig also told the committee that two “tracker teams” have been formed to look for Fernandez. He said they were looking into information that the victim may have been brought to Bukidnon or to Balingasag in Misamis Oriental. He did not discount the possibility that Fernandez may have been murdered.

Meanwhile, Vice Gov. Pelaez expressed dismay over the failure of Cariaga or a Cocpo representative to face the committee on Wednesday.

Pelaez said he was disappointed because Cariaga had initially confirmed that he would send Cocpo deputy director Supt. Aaron Mandia to give the committee a briefing. He said the appointment was canceled at the eleventh hour.

“Ang among duda, naglikay gyud sila. Everybody came except for the city police. What are they avoiding?” Pelaez asked.

He said he was disturbed because he was supposedly informed by members of the Fernandez family that “gipasahan-pasahan sila sa ilang gidoul nga kapolisan sa Cagayan de Oro after the reported kidnapping and carnapping.”

He said the Fernandez case has alarmed even the provincial board, pointing out that Misamis Oriental and Cagayan de Oro’s  “common security and safety” were at stake.

“As a matter of fact, Cagayan de Oro City is still the capital of the province of Misamis Oriental. Many of our constituents are also residents of the city, and many of our young people study in the various schools in the city. Many of our professionals, businessmen and many others conduct their businesses and own properties in the city,” Pelaez said.

Pelaez said the provincial board would send recommendations to President Duterte, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), the National Police, and the National Police Commission (Napolcom).

He said the provincial board would also wait for the official action of the city council.