By Paulo Loreto Lim

After Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOPPO) Director, Police Senior Superintendent William Señoron, was relieved of duty earlier this week, alongside other law enforcement officers, Police Regional Office-18 (PRO-18) Director, Police Chief Superintendent Renato Gumban, said action was taken after the recent affidavits by former Berya drug group member Ricky Serenio corroborated existing intelligence.
“There was already information linking their names with illegal drug operations, but nobody was courageous enough to indicate them in a sworn affidavit,” he explained. “Ricky Sereno made it.”
He added, according to Camp Crame, it is standard operating procedure for officials implicated in sworn affidavits to be relieved of duty.
Meanwhile, in terms of the accusations lodged by Señoron that Moises Padilla Mayor Magdaleno Peña had a hand in the decision, saying, “Peña won by relieving me,” the PRO-18 chief dismissed the claims.
Gumban said there is no evidence to show the mayor played a role in the process.
Gumban has since appointed Police Senior Superintendent Rolando Miranda as acting NOPPO director./WDJ