Tagbilaran City Police Station (TCPS) chief Lt. Col Oscar Boyles was relieved of his post on Tuesday, less than five months after he took over as the city’s top cop.
This was confirmed by Boyles himself who said that he was replaced by Lt. Col. Jimmy Aguisanda who took over as officer-in-charge of the TCPS.
According to Boyles, his relief stemmed from the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) “one-strike” policy in relation to alleged dismal efforts against gambling.
Boyles said that Regional Special Operations Group (RSOG) 7 found and shut down a Peryahan ng Bayan “yellow booth” in the city leading to his relief.
Such establishments were supposed to have already been closed by the police and other law enforcement agencies amid the government and PNP’s crackdown against illegal gambling.
However, a highly placed source in the government who spoke on condition of anonymity said that all nine Peryahan ng Bayan booths in the city have been shut down but one defied the order and recently reopened.
The source said that Boyles may have been just a victim of circumstance and has not been lagging in the campaign against gambling.
Boyles also noted that operatives of the RSOG 7 also detected other gambling activities and made arrests during operations in municipalities, not just in Tagbilaran. But it was only Boyles who was ordered relieved as of Tuesday.
“Kadtong huling operation nila last week daghang nadakpan sa ubang municipality parang na single out ako, pero tungod pud siguro kay syudad man pud ni. Medyo na-highlight kay mao ra man pud niy syudad,” he said.
The outgoing Tagbilaran police chief will not be contesting the order but noted that he is ready to explain his side and present data showing that he has been active in the drive against gambling.
Police data showed that the TCPS recorded the most number of accomplishments against illegal gambling compared with the province’s 47 municipalities from January 21 until March 10.
The TCPS during the said period arrested 16 individuals through 12 anti-gambling operations.
A separate TCPS data also indicated that they arrested 62 individuals in 31 anti-gambling operations from October, 2019 to the first week of March, 2020.
Boyles took over as Tagbilaran police chief in October, 2019.
He replaced Lt. Col. Christopher Navida who was reassigned to the National Capital Regional Police Office along with Major Gen. Debold Sinas who was then Police Regional Office 7 chief and now NCRPO director. (R. Tutas)