By Froilan Gallardo
Special Correspondent
THE Philippine National Police regional headquarters here relieved a controversial police officer, who was critical of Mayor Oscar Moreno’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic here.
The relief order signed by Police Lt. Col. Ramil Wafer was released Tuesday but became effective Monday.
The order from Police Brigadier General Rolando Anduyan relieved Police Lt. Col. Lemuel Gonda from his duties as deputy director of the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office.
Gonda was transferred back to the PNP regional headquarters in Camp Alagar, Barangay Lapasan here.
Gonda accused Mayor Oscar Moreno of being “uncooperative” in the implementation of the Enhanced Community Quarantine measures in the city.
Cagayan de Oro was placed under the strictest quarantine measures following a surge of Covid-19 cases and the discovery of at least 21 Delta variant cases in the city.
Gonda thrashed Moreno during an interview with a Facebook-based news page Northern Mindanao Dispatch for rejecting recommendations by the Regional Inter-Agency Task Force to set up focused containment measures to check the spread of the virus and its Delta variant.
Moreno called the police officer “unprofessional” and even dare him to resign and run for public office.
The mayor defended himself saying he thumbed down the recommendation of focused granular lockdown because he saw that quick and strict isolation of Covid-19 patients and their close contacts was a more effective strategy.
The relief order for Gonda also involved several police officers in a major reshuffle in the city police force.
