According to Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) spokesperson, Police Senior Inspector Armilyn Vargas, it was revealed yesterday morning BCPO deputy administrative director, Police Superintendent Ronaldo Palomo, was relieved of duty following allegations of his involvement in last week’s hostile takeover attempt of a bar in the Goldenfields Commercial Complex in Barangay Singcang-Airport.

Police Regional Office-6 (PRO-6) has since replaced him with Police Superintendent Victorino Romanillos, Jr., as Palomo was reassigned to the Regional Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit-6 (RPHAU-6).

Romanillos previously served as Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOPPO) deputy administrative director.

Vargas said Palomo was removed after a complaint was filed against him by bar owner Joseph Nazareno, who claimed he was part of the group, led by Taiwan-national Han Suan Chang, trying to claim ownership of Nazareno’s bar.

Palomo, meanwhile, denied the allegations, claiming he was “just doing his job,” as the BCPO officer-in-charge was in Iloilo at the time of the incident.

Earlier, Chang, along with eight supposed “guards,” entered Nazareno’s establishment claiming he was the legitimate owner.

Police were alerted by nearby residents and members of the special weapons and tactics (SWAT) unit were deployed, who managed to de-escalate the situation.

Nazareno said Chang had been a potential investor, however, the deal went sour after the latter failed to pay for the transaction.

He also pointed out, several items, including closed-circuit television cameras (CCTV), were destroyed by the group during the incident.

In addition, Nazareno survived an attempt on his life last October, when unidentified gunmen opened fire on a vehicle he was driving. He claimed Chang was behind the shooting./DGB, WDJ