In Minglanilla: New police chief keeps lesson from arrest close

CEBU, Philippines – The new police chief of Minglanilla town will assume his post today with a major objective - regain the town's trust and confidence in the police.

The new chief, Chief Insp. Dexter Calacar, replaces Chief Insp. Florendo Fajardo.

Fajardo was relieved from his post last December 29 in line with an ongoing investigation into the controversial arrest of 80 men in Upper Linao, Minglanilla on Christmas Day.

The men were arrested for illegal gambling but the police allegedly forced them to sign an affidavit that they were involved in illegal drugs.

Fajardo was forced to apologize and promised to delete the names of those arrested in the station's list of drug surrenderers.

A dialogue also thwarted charges against the cops.

He is assigned temporarily at the Police Holding Accounting Unit of the Cebu Provincial Police Office.

Calacar, for his part, said no organization is perfect but the controversy in the December 25 arrest will serve as a lesson for the team.

He said it is his first time to lead a local government unit's police station but pledged to uphold peace and order in Minglanilla.

"Ipadayon ang program 'double barrel alpha'… mag-clearing kay naa tay watchlist so ipadayon ang eve-ryday nga trabaho. We will ensure nga nakasubay sa proseso sa police operational procedure ang among gipanghimo," he said.

Calacar graduated from the Philippine National Police Academy in 2005.

He was a former member of the Special Action Force and spent around six years with the Regional Special Training Unit-7 in Sibonga town.  —/JMO (FREEMAN)