Inot keeps Molo police post amid controversies

By Jennifer P. Rendon

Police Capt. Ryan Christ Inot will remain as commander of Iloilo City Police Station 4 despite controversies involving the Molo police station.

Brig. Gen. Randulf Tuaño, Western Visayas police chief, said administrative relief is imposed when a police officer is a suspect in a crime.

Tuaño said Inot is not a suspect.

“Kapag ginawa natin ’yan, ano ang mangyayari sa morale ng ating kapulisan sa buong Region 6,” he said.

Inot drew public attention after heavily armed members of the Philippine National Police Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group entered ICPS 4 on the afternoon of July 1.

The IMEG, a PNP unit tasked with going after erring police personnel, reportedly acted on information that a wanted former police officer was hiding inside the station.

The former police officer was not found during the operation.

Before the incident, Inot and his team were accused of planting evidence during a police buy-bust operation in which authorities said they seized PHP 1.36 million worth of shabu from a salon owner and the owner’s partner.

During his talk with Iloilo City Police Office officers Monday, Tuaño assured them that the Police Regional Office 6 would support personnel who had done nothing wrong.

“Pero kung may pagkakamali sila, hindi namon sila matutulungan,” he added.

An anonymous letter sent to a radio station accused Inot of “robbery” and planting evidence.

The letter also accused former Police Regional Office 6 director Brig. Gen. Josefino Ligan and current ICPO director Col. Wilbert Parilla of “protecting” Inot.

Tuaño said authorities would give the claims a chance to be verified despite the letter being anonymous and unsigned.

However, he said anonymous complaints are usually not investigated as part of standard administrative treatment.

Tuaño said police officials welcome complaints against Inot or any other police personnel in Western Visayas.

He said PRO-6 also would audit the performance of police personnel.

Despite what happened between IMEG and ICPS 4, Tuaño said police officials are looking at the incident positively.

“We hope to make some institutional changes and we could derive institutional learning from it,” he said.