By Miriam G. Desacada
Tacloban City—One high-ranking official of the Police Regional Office-Region 8 (PRO-8) is among the 18 third-level officers of the Philippine National Police whose courtesy resignations were accepted by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Tuesday (July 25).
The high-ranking official of PRO-8 who is among the 18 whose resignations were accepted by PBBM is Police/Colonel Michael Arcillas David, chief of PRO-8’s Regional Staff.
It can be recalled that the President, during his SONA the day before (July 24), announced that he will accept the “resignation of unscrupulous law enforcers and others involved in the highly nefarious drug trade.”
The acceptance of the resignation was recommended by the NAPOLCOM Ad Hoc Advisory Group that probed into the alleged involvement of 953 third-level police officers in illegal drug activities. All of these officers were initially asked to tender their courtesy resignation while the investigation was going on.
After a thorough investigation the Group recommended to the President to accept the resignation of 18 officers, three of them police/brigadier generals and the rest police/colonels.
Among those police/colonels is David, who is currently with PRO-8, after serving as director of the Tacloban City Police Office (TCPO). During his time with the TCPO, there were a number of reports, although unverified then, from various sources baring that he was a protector of the illegal drug trade in the city and neighboring towns.
These were allegations that he vehemently denied, but continued until 2021 when he was reassigned to the PRO-8 to assume the post of chief of the Regional Staff office. Efforts to get his statement regarding his accepted resignation were futile, as of press time.
Another one who was once assigned to the PRO-8 is P/Col. Rodolfo Calope Albotra Jr., now detailed to Region 13 (CARAGA) where he is transferred after his stint with the Cebu Police Provincial Office (CPPO).
Before his detail at CPPO, Albotra worked for a while at PRO-8, and then designated as OIC chief of the Calbayog City Police Office soon after the ambush killing of City Mayor Ronald Aquino.
National news reports had cited PNP Chief Benjamin Acorda Jr. as saying that the resigned officials are still being monitored. They will then be ordered relieve from their current posts and be assigned to the PNP’s Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit, DPRM (Directorate for Personnel and Records Management) in Camp Crame.
PRO-8 Regional Director, P/Brig. Gen. Vincent S. Calanoga, refused to comment on the inclusion of David to the list of officials whose resignations were accepted by the President. He said that he could not make any statement because he has yet to receive the official notice or communications from the President or the NAPOLCOM.
PBBM has, since the start of his administration, declared to continue the fight against illegal drugs and the syndicates behind these by cleaning up the ranks of the PNP and appointing new people to lead the government’s campaign.
“The drug problem would not exist without the involvement of police officials,” said the President, adding that his administration will “shut down their activities and dismantle their network of operations.” —Miriam G. Desacada