DAVAO CITY, Philippines – The tour of duty for newly installed Davao City Police Office (DCPO) Director Colonel Lito Patay was exceptionally brief, lasting only 4 hours and 38 minutes.

Patay assumed office at around 8 am on Wednesday, but a call from Camp Crame at approximately 12:38 pm abruptly ended his tenure. This unexpected call relieved him from his post as the city police director, marking one of the shortest terms in the city’s history.

The Newsline team was awaiting an interview with the new police chief when he stepped out of the room to take the career-altering call. The call not only ended his term but also reshuffled the leadership within the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Region XI.

Before the call, Patay was in the midst of a command conference with the 19 newly assigned DCPO officers. He discussed the critical role of the police in maintaining order in an urbanized city like Davao and emphasized the strict implementation of the “3-Minute Response Time (3-MRT)” strategy, aimed at ensuring rapid police response to incidents.

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The sudden recall of Patay led to the designation of Colonel Sherwin Butil as the officer in charge (OIC).

Butil, who previously headed the Regional Information and Technology Division, took over to ensure there was no vacuum in leadership. In this reshuffle, Colonel Alberto Lupaz, who previously held the Regional Operations Division, will assume Butil’s former position. Patay will fill the post vacated by Lupaz.

Butil immediately assumed his new role with no formal turnover ceremony required; only an assumption order was necessary.

Impact on peace and order

The recent rapid turnover of DCPO leadership has left many Davaoeños concerned about the stability and effectiveness of local law enforcement. Over the past four months, four city police directors have been designated as OICs, which may create a perception of instability within the police force. Frequent leadership changes can disrupt the continuity of strategic initiatives and hinder the implementation of long-term plans, such as the 3-minute Response Time strategy that Patay had emphasized.

For a city like Davao, known for its strict law enforcement and efforts to maintain peace and order, the constant reshuffling of police leadership could potentially affect the morale of the police force and their ability to respond effectively to crimes and emergencies.

It is crucial for the new OIC, Colonel Butil, to quickly establish his leadership and reassure both the police officers and the community of his commitment to maintaining peace and order. – Rappler.com

This story is republished with permission from Newsline Philippines.