The Philippine Online Chronicles

Maguindanao police director Senior Superintendent Alex Lineses was sacked because of Governor Esmael Mangudadatu’s complaints of inaction on the Ampatuan massacre case, said a report by the Inquirer.

According to the report, it was on Thursday that Philippine National Police Director General Jesus Verzosa ordered Lineses relieved from office and reassigned to the headquarters of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) police in Parang, Maguindanao.

Replacing him is Senior Superintendent Marcelo Pintac, current General Santos City police director.

However, another report from GMANews.tv, said that Lineses resigned. Based on the interview, Lineses said he gave up the post to give way to Mangudadatu’s plans and choice of police director. At the same time, he was assigned to a higher post at the headquarters of the ARMM police.

In both reports, Lineses denied he was “sleeping on the job.” He asserted that he did his job. He was quoted saying, "I've been an officer for quite sometime already so alam ko naman ang ginagawa ko. I'm on the right track and I'm in the right direction.”

Mangudadatu criticized Lineses for failing to arrest a majority of the 196 people accused of having a hand in the November 23 massacre. Only 64 have been apprehended. After the carnage, all members of the Maguindanao provincial police were suspended, since some of the accused are in fact local policemen and soldiers. Lineses was then assigned as police chief of the province.

In earlier reports, Mangudadatu asked Versoza for Lineses’ replacement after failing to submit a report on the status of their investigation. Mangudadatu claimed that Lineses did not even put people in Ampatuan.

Mangudadatu was reported to have received reports that volunteers of the Ampatuan clan were freely roaming in the city. He even alleged that Lineses could be taking orders from the Ampatuans.

ARMM regional police director Senior Superintendent Bienvenido Latag said that the replacement would not be a problem since Lineses was willing to give way.