NAGA CITY - Camarines Sur Gov. Luis Raymund “Lray” Villafuerte is urging the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to immediately concur to the request of the Philippine National Police (PNP) for the replacement of Police Senior Supt. Romeo Mapalo by Police Senior Supt. Romeo Tambungi as the province’s police provincial director.

        Villafuerte said that the request of the PNP for the re-assignment of Mapalo to the Police Regional Office 5 (PRO 5) and the designation of Tambungi as acting police provincial director of Camarines Sur was officially transmitted to Comelec chairman Benjamin Abalos, Sr. in a memorandum dated April 10, 2007. The memo was signed by the Chief PNP, Police Director General Oscar Calderon.

        “I am strongly urging the Comelec to give due course and immediately approve this request,” said Villafuerte, who also pointed out that the PNP has already ordered Mapalo’s replacement by Tambungi last January 9, 2007 but the order has yet to be implemented.

        But Mapalo said that he will not hesitate leaving his post here once he receives the order of his relief from his Camarines Sur assignment.

        “As a good soldier, I will always follow order from my superiors. I am always ready to go if the higher headquarters finally sends my walking papers,” the police director said.

        Since it is election period, Comelec clearance is required for the transfer of assignments of police personnel pursuant to Comelec Resolution 7707 and 7788, which were promulgated on August 30, 2006 and December 20, 2006, respectively.

        It would be recalled that last October 30, 2007, Villafuerte has officially communicated to the PNP that he is choosing Tambungi from a list of three nominees as Mapalo’s replacement. He has repeatedly pointed out that NAPOLCOM Memorandum Circular No. 2001-005, which gives him the right to choose the provincial police director within ten working days from receipt of the list of three nominees from the office of the Director of the Regional Police Office.

        The governor also cited a statement issued recently by the Police Regional Office 5 through Police Supt. Eliciar Bron that Mapalo has been ordered relieved by “higher headquarters” for his continued failure to stop the operation of jueteng, an illegal numbers game, in Camarines Sur.

        Bron said that the relief of Mapalo is pursuant to the “1-3-2 strike” policy issued by the Chief PNP on May 8, 2006. The directive provides for the relief of town and city police chiefs as well as police provincial directors, among others, for failure to stop illegal gambling operations in their area of responsibility.

        He cited the fact that the CIDG-SOU and the RSOG-PRO5, in close coordination with the office of Villafuerte, has successfully conducted four anti-gambling operations in the past several months. Aside from Mapalo, the police chiefs of Ragay, Buhi, Tinambac and Nabua have also been ordered relieved.

        “The PNP national headquarters and the PRO5 have ordered Mapalo’s relief because there is clear proof that his supposed campaign against illegal gambling in our province is a miserable failure. Besides, he is already overstaying as he has been police provincial director for over three years,” Villafuerte pointed out.

        The governor also alleged that ever since he has pushed for Mapalo’s relief, the latter has displayed partiality against him. “He (Mapalo) has acted with manifest partiality. One of the evidence of this is that he withdrew all the PNP security personnel assigned to me.”