Two town police chiefs sacked
LINGAYEN—One-strike for jueteng and two-strikes for unsolved crimes.
The chief of police of Bayambang, Superintendent Rodelio Samson, was the first in Pangasinan to be sacked from his post under the one-strike policy for failing to stop jueteng operations and the second under the two-strike policy for at least two shooting incidents in the town that remain unsolved within a one month period.
Senior Superintendent Rosueto Ricaforte, police provincial director, confirmed the relief of Samson on Thursday.
Ricaforte, who appeared before the Sangguniang Panlalawigan during its question hour Friday, said the one-strike policy fell on Samson after a Special Operations Group from Camp Crame, the police headquarters based in Manila, raided a jueteng den in Bayambang on Wednesday.
This was the first raid by an outside police unit on a jueteng den in Pangasinan since the one-strike policy was imposed by the police headquarters following an expose by retired Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz before a senate investigation committee.
Ricaforte added Superintendent Ericson Bilay, chief of police of Bani, was relieved earlier for his failure to solve two shooting incidents in his area of jurisdiction.
Bilay, however, was reportedly due for reassignment having exceeded the two-year limit in one place of assignment.
Ricaforte said he believes that the two-strike policy had been effective, as shooting incidents have waned in the past weeks.
With the policy in place, he said, police chiefs have become more aggressive in their monitoring efforts.
He cited that two suspected carjackers, who are also allegedly members of a guns-for-hire syndicate, were killed in a shoot-out with the Highway Patrol Group and the Dagupan police along the highway in Bonuan Binloc, Dagupan City at 11 p.m. Thursday.
The suspects were believed to be targeting mayors who were meeting at the Palmas Verde Subdivision of the family of Sual Mayor John Arcinue in Bonuan, Binloc, Dagupan.
One of the suspects died on the spot and the other died while being rushed to the Region 1 Medical Center.
Armed with handguns, the suspects fired at a pursuing police car of the Highway Patrol Group, hitting one of its headlights, forcing the lawmen to retaliate.
NO POLICY SUSPENSION
At the same time, Ricaforte corrected a statement made by his spokesman, Superintendent Geraldo Roxas, during a media forum that the two-strike policy is being suspended for the duration of the Christmas season.
“It was not suspended, it is still ongoing,” Ricaforte said, adding that the suspension of the policy in consideration of the Christmas spirit is still being evaluated.—LM
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