Bayawan police chief relieved over unsolved shootings

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – The police chief of Bayawan City Police Station in Negros Oriental was relieved from his post effective February 24, 2020, because of unsolved cases of shooting incidents in his area of jurisdiction since January this year.

Police Colonel Julian Entoma, director of Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office (Norppo), confirmed yesterday the relief of Police Lieutenant Colonel Alfonso Enriquez.

Entoma said Police Lieutenant Colonel Judi Mar Bonilla from the Mobile Force Company will replace Enriquez, who will be moved to the administrative branch at Norppo headquarters.

He said Enriquez, who was assigned in Bayawan in December 2019, failed to supervise his personnel with regards to the investigation of shooting incidents.

Although they are implementing the anti-criminality campaign, seven shooting incidents were reported this year, including the recent killing of retired police officer-turned-councilor Alex Tizon in the city last week.

He said only one case was filed out of seven incidents, and most cases were fatal shootings.

On February 18, Tizon, who was driving a sports utility vehicle (SUV), was killed in an ambush at Barangay Villareal.

Police earlier said that they are looking into work-related and politics as possible motives behind the attack.

Norppo has created a Special Investigation Task Group (SITG), and also tapped the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) to focus on probing the incident.

Entoma said they still have no lead yet on the identities of the perpetrators. He also said that the incident was not insurgency-related.

He said the city police force is also investigating these cases but they have difficulties when it comes to witnesses.

“Pag tinanong na kasi ang mga tao, nagiging bulag at bingi na sila kasi wala silang tiwala sa kapulisan. Kaya nangyayari na naman ang isang insidente kasi gantihan na lang,” he added.

Entoma said this will serve as warning to all police chiefs that they should know how to convince people to trust the police.

“Kailangan maibalik iyong trust and confidence ng mga tao sa kapulisan,” he stressed.

He also appealed to the public to help and support the police in the solution of crimes.

“They have to stand with the truth,” he said, as he assured them that police have many ways to defend and protect them.