RESHUFFLE Davao City鈥檚 San Pedro police station, shown here on Monday, July 8, 2024, is one of the 19 police units in the city whose commanders have been relieved in an unexplained major reshuffle. 鈥擝ING GONZALES
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� The Philippine National Police (PNP) said the relief of 19 Davao City police commanders has nothing to do with politics.
In a press conference, PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo addressed concerns regarding the reshuffle of the police chiefs which Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte described as a 鈥渕ass relief.鈥�
According to Fajardo, the order of聽 Davao Police Regional Office Director Brig. Gen. Nicolas Torre III was made to improve the implementation of PNP programs.
READ: 19 police chiefs in Davao City relieved, reassigned
She noted that Torre鈥檚聽鈥渋ntention is to infuse new blood in Davao [police] for it to become dynamic or more progressive.鈥�
On Wednesday, Mayor Duterte wrote on Facebook: 鈥淭here are extraordinary and unwarranted administrative changes by the Philippine National Police that seem to be politically motivated.鈥�
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鈥淭he mass relief of police officials鈥� will not help in sustaining the city鈥檚 peace and security situation,鈥� he added.
But Fajardo said Thursday: 鈥淏ecause of some of the political issues nahaluan ng kulay ito (it was given color).鈥�
鈥淏ut we want to assure everyone that this is far from reality,鈥� she also said.