Baleros tells cops to embrace reassignment

By: Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – Police Colonel Romeo Baleros, director of Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (Nocppo) urged police officers assigned in their respective hometowns to voluntarily submit themselves to reassignment.

This, after Baleros received a complaint from a concerned citizen in Sipalay City about the behavior of a police officer assigned at the city’s police station.

Baleros said in a press conference at the Nocppo headquarters here yesterday that he investigated the report and found out that it was a case of misunderstanding.

He added that the concerned police officer was relieved from his post effective June 24, 2019 to avoid conflict due to familiarization in his area of assignment, not because of his “misunderstood behavior.”

“In fact, he should be given recognition because he protected the woman from an attacking dog,” he added.

Baleros said they had previously ordered the relief of some police officers for the same reason. Thus, he reiterated his call to Nocppo officers to request for reassignment from their native towns or cities.

The voluntary reassignment is meant to avoid sacrificing “services for the people.”

“I have observed that some police officers assigned in their hometown would prefer to leave the police station even if it’s still their duty hours to eat dinner or sleep at their houses,” the provincial police director said.

“What if people need police assistance? They cannot be sighted in the police station, where they are supposed to render their duty.”

Baleros said transferring to another unit will make a police officer an effective public servant because he will act accordingly, without protecting anyone he knows in the community.

“They have an option to choose where to be transferred if they voluntarily request for their reassignment,” Baleros said.