BAGUIO CITY—The City Council is on the verge of passing a resolution condemning the “unceremonious” transfer of a longtime traffic policeman here to neighboring Apayao province.
The council also wants to declare Sr. Supt. Gregorio Lim, deputy regional director for administration of the Police Regional Office in the Cordillera, as “persona non grata” in Baguio City for his alleged abuse of power.
This is because Lim is reassigning SPO3 Alberto C. Tadeo, a veteran of the Baguio City Police Office Traffic Management Branch to Apayao, a move the Council opposes.
The resolution initially authored by Councilor Edgar M. Avila, but to be authored by all members of the local legislative body once enacted, said the act of Senior Superintendent Lim ordering the outright transfer of Tadeo to Apayao “simply because he reminded his security escort and driver of violating the city’s number coding scheme” is considered “grave abuse of power and authority and conduct unbecoming of an officer and a gentleman.”
It can be recalled that in the morning of Dec.19, 2016 at the city public market along Magsaysay Avenue, Tadeo apprehended a private motor vehicle for violating the city’s number coding scheme.
The driver and passengers of the vehicle identified themselves as fellow members of the Philippine National Police assigned to Lim. Tadeo reportedly gave them a warning and reminded them of their violation, but did not issue them a traffic citation ticket and proceeded to perform his routine activities as a traffic enforcer.
The resolution noted that in the afternoon of the same day, to his shock and chagrin, Tadeo received an order from Lim relieving him from the BCPO-TMB and transferring him to Apayao.
While the transfer of personnel is a prerogative of the PNP “and no doubt, uniformed personnel could not question the same,” the resolution pointed out the proximate cause of the transfer of Tadeo was his apprehension of the motor vehicle of Lim, “who is so full of himself that he feels entitled to a privilege not given to ordinary citizens of the city.”
For being sworn to his duty, the resolution stated Tadeo “will now face hardship equivalent to cruelty and unusual punishment two years before his retirement, which is considered to be undeserving as he is known for his reputation as a hardworking and dedicated police officer who has proven honor and integrity.”
Despite efforts of local officials to reach out to Lim for dialogue that could settle the matter, the police official “refused to give in to the request, as if he is an untouchable police officer who believes that he is exempted from whatever rules and regulations that are being implemented in the city,” the councilors said.
“The actuations of Senior Superintendent Lim are considered a dictatorship on his part that he refuses to listen to the clamor of the officialdom and the people to return Tadeo to the city where he has been effective in performing his duties and responsibilities as a police officer,” they added.
Copies of the resolution will be submitted to PNP Director General Ronald dela Rosa and the National Police Commission for their appropriate action, the council said.