Napolcom Revokes Mayor’s Deputation For Not Supporting Cebu City Police

The National Police Commission (Napolcom) en banc on Wednesday revoked the deputation of Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña as the commission’s representative for not supporting the city police.

Lawyer Homer Cabaral, Napolcom 7 director, said the notice of resolution was served at past noon Wednesday to the office of Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella, the acting mayor.

Osmeña is in the US for his annual medical check-up.

Napolcom Resolution 2016-467, dated Aug. 10, 2016, was approved by the commission en banc, chaired by Interior and Local Government Secretary Ismael Sueno.

Under Sec. 64 of the Philippine National Police Reform and Reorganization Act of 1998, governors and mayors are automatically deputized as Napolcom representatives in their respective jurisdictions upon election.

The deputation allows them to inspect police forces and units, conduct audit and exercise other functions authorized by the commission.

The Napolcom en banc said that upon assumption, President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s first major peace and order initiative was the eradication of illegal drugs in the country.

But instead of supporting Duterte, the Napolcom said Osmeña withdrew all support from the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO).

Osmeña stopped giving allowances to police officers newly assigned at the CCPO.

The mayor also stopped supplying gasoline to police service vehicles and held off the release of 15 patrol cars and three vans the CCPO has requested from the city.

The Napolcom considers them as “acts inimical to national security”, which “negates the effectiveness of the peace and order campaign”. This prompted the commission to revoke Osmeña’s deputation as NAPOLCOM representative. (PNA) CVL/EB/EDS