BALER, Aurora, March 25, 2011-Governor Bellaflor Angara-Castillo expressed dissatisfaction over Senior Supt. Rosvi Manulid performance amid the rash in crimes in this capital town and the police’s alleged failure to contain illegal logging activities seven months after he was the provincial police director in this province and may be on the way out.
Manulid is a bemedalled and well-decorated police officer who held sensitive positions at the Philippine National Police Regional Police Office 3 here in Central Luzon who was included in the list of recommendees for new provincial director of the Aurora police but Gov. Bellaflor Angara-Castillo left him out.
“I did not choose him,” Angara-Castillo told newsmen without specifying who was her choice; however, sources said that her personal choice was Senior Supt. Benjie Hulipas, who hails from the province.
“I am very disappointed when Manulid took over as provincial director, there was a surge in crimes, including a P1-million broad daylight heist. Even during day-time, there were crime incidents,” Angara-Castillo said, adding that before the latter came in, the province had the lowest crime rate among the seven provinces in Central Luzon.
“Before Manulid was assigned here, we were the most peaceful in the entire region 3 and I wanted to maintain that distinction so he had to go,” she said, adding that the surge in crimes would adversely affect Aurora’s aggressive tourism campaign.
Angara-Castillo said that she herself was not spared from the outbreak in crimes where she cited that recently she lost her generator to thieves who broke into her house.
She recalled confronting Manulid about the incident, even warning him that if her generator would not be produced within 24 hours, Manulid would suffer the consequences; then the generator was recovered by police within the 24-hour period.
Angara-Castillo said the fact that the stolen generator was recovered by police indicated that if they wanted to, they can do their job efficiently. She said she has long been complaining to Manulid and his men the lack of police visibility in the province.
Asked to comment on his impending relief, Manulid said that he serves at the pleasure of the governor. He said insofar as he is concerned, he has done his best although this has failed to satisfy the governor.
“I have no regrets,” he said.
Before a new set of recommendees was laid down, Manulid has been subjected by the governor to severe tongue-lashing. Once, she scolded him in front of local officials and newsmen during a meeting of the provincial government-led task force against illegal logging for the inability of lawmen to prevent the passage of trucks in police-manned checkpoints.
But what broke the camel’s back, sources said, was the occurrence of five consecutive robbery-holdup and theft incidents in the province.
Earlier, Manulid was appointed last September to his post as officer-in-charge by Chief Supt. Allan Purisima, PNP regional director, replacing Senior Supt. Romulo Esteban who stayed barely a year in his post.
Manulid and Esteban are “mistahs” or classmates in the 1984 batch of the PNP Academy. Another prominent batchmate is Senior Supt. Rudy Lacadin, regional director for Central Luzon of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.
A native of Porac, Pampanga, Manulid was chief of the PRO3’s regional operations and plans division prior to his assignment in Aurora. Before being assigned in Central Luzon, Manulid served as regional chief of the PNP maritime division of the PRO4-A covering the coastal provinces of Batangas, Marinduque, Mindoro Occidental, Mindoro Oriental, Quezon and Romblon.
He also served in various capacities as deputy provincial director for administration and deputy provincial for operations of the Pampanga police and as station commanders of the Floridablanca, Guagua, Mabalacat and Sta. Ana police stations.
At least twice, Manulid was adjudged police officer of the year in Central Luzon in the late 80s. To his credit were 28 medals and 31 letters of commendations. (Jason de Asis)
