Sibulan police station gets caretaker, added personnel

By Glazyl M. Jopson

BACOLOD CITY — The Police Regional Office–Negros Island Region designated a caretaker and deployed additional personnel to the Sibulan Municipal Police Station in Negros Oriental on Monday, Jan. 12, following the killing of its police chief and two other personnel over the weekend.

Police Lt. Col. Jul Mohammad Jamiri, deputy provincial director for operations of the Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office, was assigned in a concurrent capacity as caretaker of the police station upon the order of Police Brig. Gen. Arnold Thomas Ibay, regional police director.

The designation followed the death of Police Capt. Jose Edrohil Cimafranca, the Sibulan police chief, who was killed along with two of his personnel inside his car in Barangay Tubtubon, Sibulan.

Authorities said the killings were allegedly perpetrated by Police Staff Sgt. Bonifacio Saycon after a bar shooting earlier that night that also left a female worker dead on Jan. 9.

Two other police personnel were disarmed and placed under restrictive custody after they were seen with Cimafranca’s group at a bar prior to the shooting.

Police Lt. Col. Joem Malong, regional police spokesperson, said a seven-man team from the Regional Mobile Force Battalion–Negros Island Region was deployed to Sibulan to augment local forces.

Ibay said the move aims to ensure there is no disruption to peace and order in Sibulan while a new police chief has yet to be appointed.

Authorities said the motive behind the alleged crimes remains unclear, as Saycon has yet to issue a statement.

Ibay said he personally informed Philippine National Police chief Police Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. about the incidents.

He said Nartatez directed a thorough investigation and ordered that no cover-up be tolerated and that cases be filed against those involved.

“We will find out the truth,” Ibay said.

“All pertinent pieces of evidence have been secured, and forensic ballistic examinations are ongoing to establish the full circumstances of the incidents,” Ibay said during a recent press briefing.

He said authorities could not yet determine how long the investigation would take but assured the public that the Special Investigation Task Group would uncover the truth.

Meanwhile, Police Col. Criscente Tiguelo, who was recently relieved as Negros Oriental police director, said Saycon and Cimafranca previously served at the San Jose Municipal Police Station before being transferred to Sibulan.

Tiguelo said Saycon was diligent in his work and had no known serious cases.

He said Saycon had only one administrative case when the provincial police office was still under Police Regional Office-7 in Central Visayas.

The case involved Saycon’s failure to report for duty during an operation to serve an arrest warrant, Tiguelo said.

In light of the shooting incident, Ibay directed all unit commanders to ensure that police personnel strictly adhere to the PNP Ethical Doctrine.

The doctrine mandates the highest standards of morality, decency, and professionalism among police officers.

Ibay cited Section 3.1 of the doctrine, which states that PNP members must set good examples and must not, at any time, be involved in, patronize, or tolerate houses of ill repute, illegal gambling dens, or other vice-related establishments unless on official duty within their areas of responsibility.

He emphasized that police officers are held to higher ethical standards because of the authority and trust vested in them by the public.

He said any conduct—whether on or off duty—that compromises integrity, discipline, and professionalism will not be tolerated.

Ibay added that ethical accountability goes hand in hand with legal accountability and that strict observance of the doctrine is essential in preventing incidents that endanger lives and erode public trust.