CEBU CITY – A policeman got cold feet and decided to resign just before his deployment to Lanao del Norte to secure the Bangsamoro Organic Law plebiscite Wednesday.
Chief Supt. Debold Sinas, director of the Philippine National Police Regional Office 7 (Central Visayas) identified the policeman as PO3 Karl Aldwin Belandres Osorio, an operative of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion.
Sinas said Osorio was supposed to join 300 policemen who were deployed to help secure the plebiscite in Lanao del Norte.
“A day before the deployment, he resigned because he did not want to be deployed in Mindanao,” said Sinas.
The resignation was effective Friday, Feb. 1, said Sinas.
“I explained to him that being assigned in Mindanao is part of our job. That’s why we are called national police. We did not stop him since it might set a bad precedent that someone will threaten to resign if he will be reassigned to a place that he doesn’t like. There are so many police applicants, so we did not stop him,” said Sinas.
Osorio has been in police service for at least 10 years.
“He will receive some benefits for his unused leaves. But he will not be entitled for pension since he did not reach 20 years in service,” said Sinas.
“Interestingly, Osorio is from Dalaguete, Cebu. As you can remember, we also have two policemen from Dalaguete who are facing investigation after they did not participate in our Simultaneous Enhanced Management Police Operation in Negros Oriental,” said Sinas.
The PRO 7 director was referring to cousins PO1 Melvin Canete and PO1 Tomas Canete, who disappeared when the police were about to conduct simultaneous police operations in Negros Oriental on New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31.
At least six persons were killed in the series of police operations while 24 were arrested. (Calvin D. Cordova)