LINGAYEN—Senior Superintendent Mariano Luis Verzosa Jr., who was never permanently appointed and kept at ‘officer-in-charge’ (OIC) status as provincial police director, has been ordered relieved from his post effective December 20 following the eruption of the jueteng payola issue in the province.

While the official word from the police is that his relief was not related to the jueteng controversy, Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas had ordered the immediate relief of police chiefs in Pangasinan following the public pronouncement of Bugallon Mayor Rodrigo Orduna linking the provincial governor to jueteng operations.

Verzosa did not reply to calls or text messages after the announcement of the official order of his relief but he did say in a press conference just hours before that police officers like him must be ready to be relieved from their posts any time.

Sources said Verzosa’s relief was supposedly prompted by the decision of one of his daughters to run for re-election as a councilor in Lingayen.

Senior Supt. Manolito Labador, deputy regional director for operations in Region 1, was named OIC Pangasinan director in a concurrent capacity.

Verzosa’s appointment was never put on permanent status as Gov. Amado Espino Jr. earlier expressed reservation due to the police official’s ties with former Gov. Vic Agbayani, an ally of LP gubernatorial candidate Hernani Braganza.–Eva Visperas

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