The Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office (NOrPPO) director was relieved from his post on Monday, Jan. 12, In the wake of a deadly shooting rampage by a policeman in Sibulan town on Friday.
PCol. Criscent E. Tiguelo was administratively relieved from his post, effective immediately in line with command responsibility and established procedures of the Philippine National Police, the Police Regional Office-Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR) announced.
The primary objective is to safeguard public trust and to ensure that ongoing processes and inquiries may proceed without interference or perceived influence, it said.
PSSgt. Bonifacio Saycon, who has been charged for the murder of Capt. Jose Edrohil Cimafranca – police chief of Sibulan town, SMSgt. Tristan Chua, Pat. Rey Albert Temblor, and a civilian identified as Chelamie Dinawanao at a bar on Friday evening, underwent inquest proceedings at the Negros Oriental Provincial Prosecutor’s Office on Monday.
PCol. Lito E. Patay, PNP-NIR Deputy Regional Director for Operations (DRDO), has been designated as officer-in-charge (OIC) of the Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office.
His designation is intended to ensure continuity of command, operational stability, and strict supervision of all police units in the province while the administrative process is ongoing, the PRO NIR said.
The PRO-NIR assured the public that police operations and services in Negros Oriental remain uninterrupted, and that the command remains committed to professionalism, accountability, transparency, and the rule of law.
PLt.Col. Jul Mohammad Jamiri, Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office Deputy Provincial Director for Operations, has been designated concurrent Sibulan Police Station OIC following the death of Cimafranca.
PNP spokesperson PBGen. Randulf Tuaño, in a press briefing Monday, said severe intoxication and not jealousy over a woman is believed to be reason for the shooting.
“They have removed the angle about the woman. They attribute this to excessive drunkenness due to the birthday celebration of the chief of police. They even started drinking at the police station and they went straight to the said restaurant,” Tuaño said.
Saycon, Cimafranca, Chua, Temblor and two other police officers were at the SAB Resto Bar in Barangay Tubtobon Friday night when the incident occurred.
Saycon first shot Dinanao at around 9:35 p.m. and was seen boarding a car with Cimafranca, Chua and Temblor after the incident.
Their two other companions left on a motorcycle to get medical help for the woman who was shot.
Responding policemen found a Mitsubishi Lancer, owned by Cimafranca parked on the roadside where the three police officers were found dead.
Saycon voluntarily surrendered at the Tanjay Police Station at around 10:40 p.m. Friday .
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Tuaño confirmed that the three police officers who were killed were not responding officers but were with Saycon and two other policemen at the bar.
He said when the shooting happened they disarmed Saycon but he was not searched and handcuffed, and still had an issued gun in his possession.
PNP chief PLt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. ordered the filing of airtight criminal and administrative cases against the police sergeant involved in the killing to ensure that he is jailed and dismissed from the service.*