Bacolod City Police Director Senior Supt. Ricardo de la Paz yesterday cancelled the award to Supt. Santiago Rapiz, after a Silay City resident filed an opposition to it at the office of Interior and Local Government Secretary Jessie Robredo.

Rapiz, who is supposedly the best senior police commissioned officer of the year is, however, serving a three-month suspension.

Rapiz did not show up at the awarding rites at the Bacolod City Police headquarters yesterday afternoon after learning that his award had been cancelled.

De la Paz said a certain Roberto Henares of Silay City filed complaint opposing Rapiz’s award after reading about it in the Visayan DAILY STAR.

Robredo conducted an inquiry and Philippine National Police Director Nicanor Bartolome directed Police Regional Office-6 Director Chief Supt. Agrimero Cruz to handle the matter, De la Paz said.

“To end further discussions about Rapiz’s award, we decided to cancel it”, he said.

Asked for his reaction, Rapiz said, the cancellation of his award will not affect him because, whether there is recognition or not, he will continue to work for the peace and order of Bacolod.

Rapiz also said that although there are people who try to pull him down, there are still many individuals who believe in his capability.

Rapiz was ordered suspended by the Office of the Deputy Ombudsman for the Military and other law enforcement agency on complaint of Carlota Villadar of Escalante City.

Villadar’s husband was apprehended in May 2010 and detained at the Escalante city’s police station when Rapiz was still the chief of police there, but was not brought to the court for the filing of charges immediately.

Meanwhile, several policemen, non-uniformed personnel of BCPO, private individuals and other civic organization were awarded at the city police’s headquarters on the occasion of the 111th Anniversary of the Philippine National Police yesterday for their active participation in the anti-criminality drive.

Senior Insp. Jose Mulleta was named best junior police commissioned officer, SPO1 Aries Escarda as best senior non-commissioned officer, PO2 Felipe Moncatar as best junior non-commissioned officer and police station 9 as the best police station.

Awarded as best Non-uniformed personnel was Teresa Castillo, best civilian employee was Bernard Seva and best traffic enforcer, Eladio Pescadero.*APN

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