ASINGAN—Twenty-three members of the municipal police station here, including their chief, were removed from their posts for still unknown reasons.

The withdrawal of all but two police personnel was unlike other revamp initiated in 44 towns and four cities in Pangasinan where only the police chiefs were transferred to other assignments.

Only the investigator and the officer assigned to the logistics unit remained.

The Pangasinan Police Provincial Office is mum about the reasons for the pullout of the town’s police force but residents believe it had something to do with the unchecked proliferation of illegal drugs in the town.

The police station reportedly has not listed any drug personality and no drug user or pusher has surrendered even after President Duterte launched the war on drugs.

The Asingan official website that feature a meeting of the town’s peace and order council never mentioned illegal drugs as a concern.

Multi-awarded P/Chief Inspector Ryan Manongdo took over as the new police chief here on Aug. 5, together with 22 other police members from various assignments in La Union Provincial Public Safety Command and the Regional Public Safety Battalion. He succeeded P/Chief Inspector Major Melecio Mina.

Manongdo, originally chief of police of Pozorrubio town, said the replacements are trained mostly for armed conflict, not the usual community relations that dwell on

normal police duties, like investigation or street patrols.

He added the new police members had never been assigned to town police stations.

“Honestly we do not know (the reason for the major revamp). I do not also know why I was chosen (to lead the police station),” Manongdo said but he considers his assignment “as the greatest challenge I ever had.”

P/Sr. Superintendent Ronald Oliver Lee, acting provincial director, visited the police station Friday and talked to the new arrivals about their mission and assured them he is behind them in their mission in the community. But the nature of the mission was not shared with the media.

Manongdo will receive two national awards for Junior Police Commissioned Officer in Police Community Relation and Most Outstanding Municipal Police Station for Police Community Relations on Aug. 22 in Camp Crame.

He was credited for reducing crime rate in Pozorrubio by 60 percent. (Tita Roces)

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