Would you believe that there is a police officer who served as Davao City police chief for only four hours? He is drug war cop Police Colonel Lito Patay and was actually Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte’s pick to head the local police in the Dutertes’ turf.

On July 16, the Davao City local government said Davao City Councilor Luna Acosta filed a resolution seeking an explanation for the appointment of three Davao City police chiefs in a span of 24 hours, which included Patay. Among those asked to explain were Davao Region police chief Police Brigadier General Nicolas Torre III and current Davao City police chief Police Colonel Hansel Marantan.

What was interesting about the Davao City local government’s statement on the resolution was the admission that Baste himself chose Patay: “Acosta revealed that Patay was the pick of Davao City Mayor Sebastian Baste Duterte while Marantan was not even on the short list presented before him.”

In the last months, there have been four designated police officers who have served as Davao City police chief. Shortly after former Quezon City police top cop Torre was appointed Davao regional police chief, he ordered a major revamp in the Davao police, leading to the appointment of Patay, who replaced Police Colonel Rolindo Soguilon.

Patay assumed office at around 8 am on July 10, and yet, after only four hours and 38 minutes, he was ordered replaced. Police Colonel Sherwin Butil was chosen as his replacement. However, on the same day, Butil was replaced by Marantan.

The rapid replacement of Davao City police chiefs could be among the manifestations of the growing rift between the Dutertes and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Davao City is the Dutertes’ bailiwick and as its mayor, Baste has administrative power over the local police. The replacement could be an indication of how the Marcos government wants to flex some political muscle in Duterte territory.

Patay is a trusted cop by the Dutertes as he is a Davao boy—a term used to refer to cops who come from or are near Davao City. He was among the notorious drug war cops at the height of Duterte’s drug war. He was chief in 2016 of Quezon City Police Station 6 (Batasan), which was considered the most deadly because of the high number of drug war killings associated with it.

As for Marantan, the cop somewhat exceled under the Marcos administration. He used to head the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Metro Manila and it was under his watch when the police served the warrants against fugitive lawmaker Arnolfo Teves Jr. The former lawmaker was the alleged mastermind behind late Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo’s assassination in 2023.

Especially now that the Marcos government is moving to arrest another fugitive, doomsday preacher Apollo Quiboloy, the current administration needs a trusted set of policemen who will actually arrest Quiboloy. After all, the preacher, who faces cases of trafficking, along with sexual and child abuse, also hails from Davao City and is a trusted ally of no less than the Dutertes. – Rappler.com