EDITORIAL - A feather of incompetence?

The region’s top policeman, Chief Superintendent Debold Sinas, is willing to step down from his post if the investigators currently looking into the ambush of San Fernando town Mayor Lakambini “Neneth” Reluya are relieved by Camp Crame.

Sinas, the director of Police Regional Office-7, wanted an extension to the two-week period that Philippine National Police Director-General Oscar Albayalde gave to investigators to solve the case. The PNP chief threatened to fire the provincial police director and the Talisay City police chief if investigators will miss his deadline.

So far, politics is the primary angle that authorities are zeroing in on. Reluya is running for reelection in May against a businessman whose multi-billion reclamation project in the town she stopped for lack of requirements.

But it seems the police are having a hard time in their investigation. As Albayalde’s deadline approaches, there has been no significant development in the case aside from the reported encounter between the police and a notorious gun-for-hire said to be a suspect in the ambush.

With no clear evidence that would merit the filing of the case against any suspect, the police investigators seem resigned to the fact that they will certainly miss Albayalde’s deadline and face any sanction.

Now Sinas is ready to be the first to be relieved from PRO-7 if Albayalde makes good on his threat. While saying they are doing their best to solve the case, Sinas explained it is hard to rush things just because there is a deadline.

But Sinas should not need to pronounce to the world he wants to sacrifice his post should his investigators miss the deadline. Such move is tantamount to admitting failure to do his part as the overall in-charge of the investigation.

What Sinas should do is to see to it that the Reluya investigation is on the right track and present encouraging developments in the case to please his boss. Opting to be relieved for a missed deadline will only show a feather of incompetence.