DAVAO CITY,Philippines – Davao City Police Office (DCPO) acting director Colonel Hansel Marantan is stepping down from his post a year after his appointment, citing medical reasons.
Colonel Marantan made this announcement in his ‘exit call’ with the city council last Tuesday, June 17, where he presented his accomplishment report.
When Marantan first appeared in the city council last July, his appointment was questioned by city councilors following the unusual procedure as Marantan was not the choice of the city mayor to head the city’s police office.
The colonel then expressed his willingness to “take the challenge and prove more to merit the acceptance of Davao City,” after feeling unwanted. Last Tuesday, he highlighted a 100% solution efficiency in addressing the 760 recorded focus crimes during his tenure of 11 months.
First District City Councilor Luna Acosta, chair of the Committee on Peace and Public Safety, facilitated his exit call. A year ago, it was Acosta who led the questioning of his appointment, citing legal violations on his appointment.
READ: https://davaotoday.com/politics/city-council-questions-marantans-appointment-as-davaos-police-chief/
In response to Marantan’s report, outgoing City Councilor Conrado Baluran filed a resolution commending Marantan’s leadership of the DCPO.
Marantan later explained to reporters later that he intends to step down and rest due to his health concerns. He has filed for a sick leave with the PNP.
“I’m in pain. I have medical conditions that I have to address. I have 52 metal screws in my body, I have a total hip replacement, I have a titanium spine in other words I’m a PWD. I have an impaired ear, so I think I have to address my situation,” the outgoing police chief said.
Most of his injuries were born out of police operations he led in the past against big-time criminal syndicates.
Marantan was the former head of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) – National Capital Region. He had faced controversies in past assignments, such as the Atimonan shootout involving a suspected drug lord in 2013 and the alleged extortion of Chinese businessmen in Parañaque. He was cleared in both cases.
Prior to his assignment in Davao, he was head of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group for Metro Manila that was deployed to search the properties of then fugitive Congressman Arnulfo Teves in Negros Oriental, the prime suspect of the murder of Governor Roel Degamo.
It was during his stint as acting DCPO chief that the 16-day search operations on fugitive preacher Apollo Quiboloy took place in his Kingdom of Jesus Christ compound in Buhangin.Marantan played a role in calling out victims of Quiboloy’s alleged sexual abuse to come out and report their cases.
Marantan told reporters he was relieved to receive a commendation from the City Council which once questioned his appointment.
“It’s such a relief. When I came, may sabi mo nga may controversies. Lahat naman ng pinupuntahan ko e may parang controversy, (as you said there were controversies. Every place I got assigned to I earned controversies), Negros Oriental, for example. But in the end look at what we do and it paid a vindication in the end,” he said.
When asked if he would also meet Mayor Sebastian Duterte, Marantan answered, “I’m waiting for his space and time also. For all intents and purposes, he is still one of my bosses. He is the city mayor in the local government unit, he is the boss.”(davaotoday.com)
