IPPO reshuffles police chiefs across Iloilo

By Jennifer P. Rendon

The leadership of the Iloilo Police Provincial Office has initiated another round of personnel reshuffling.

The latest revamp included Capt. Isagani Tabares of the San Joaquin Municipal Police Station and Capt. John Michael Dalipe of the Leon Municipal Police Station.

Tabares was relieved upon the orders of the Police Regional Office 6.

He was reassigned to the PRO-6 Regional Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit.

Col. Bayani Razalan, Iloilo police chief, said Tabares’ relief was apparently triggered by an anti-illegal gambling operation, particularly against illegal cockfighting, conducted by the Regional Special Operations Group in his area.

He will be replaced by his deputy chief, Capt. Marlon Asparo.

Dalipe, on the other hand, asked to be relieved to attend to personal concerns.

Lt. Cosmeflor Marco Jr., deputy chief of the Pototan Municipal Police Station, will replace Dalipe.

Meanwhile, Razalan also confirmed the appointment of Maj. Bryan Alamo, outgoing deputy chief of the IPPO Police Community Affairs and Development Office, as the new chief of the Pavia Municipal Police Station.

Earlier, the IPPO implemented the successive relief of three municipal police chiefs.

Relieved were Capt. Kate Apaitan of the Anilao Municipal Police Station, Maj. Myles Dieron of the Calinog Municipal Police Station, and Capt. Ritz Field Presquito of the Pavia Municipal Police Station.

Apaitan, who was reassigned to the 2nd Iloilo Provincial Mobile Force Company, was replaced by Capt. Ma. Rosela Buenvenida.

Dieron, who is now deputy chief of the IPPO Provincial Investigation and Detective Management Unit, was replaced by his deputy, Capt. Melvin Mercado.

Lt. Garry Tayongtong, deputy chief of the Pavia Municipal Police Station, temporarily took over Presquito’s post.

Presquito, on the other hand, was designated as deputy chief of the Pototan Municipal Police Station.

It was gathered that Dieron and Apaitan were relieved after serving in their posts for more than two years.

In the case of Presquito, the relief was based on a special instruction from Brig. Gen. Josefino Ligan, outgoing Western Visayas police chief.

Ligan allegedly cited a series of incidents in Pavia that warranted Presquito’s relief.

These included the robbery of a pawnshop and jewelry store at GT Town Center in Pavia on Dec. 17, 2025, in which around PHP 30 million worth of jewelry was taken; the shooting incident in Barangay Ungka 2, where a 32-year-old woman was killed and her 28-year-old co-worker was injured on April 14; and the discovery of a charred cadaver in a subdivision in Pavia on April 29.

It was gathered that Dieron and Apaitan were relieved last week, while Presquito’s order was issued late Monday afternoon.