POLICE Col. Hansel Marantan is back in the saddle or ‘hot seat’ with his new post as acting police chief of Davao City where former president Rodrigo Duterte, Vice President Sara Duterte and family hold sway.
Marantan has vowed to “to serve and protect, perform my official duties according to what is right and just, and most importantly heeding what my conscience dictates: protect the mandate of the duly-elected President.”
His appointment was issued by Philippine National Police-Directorate for Personnel and Records Management director PMGen Sidney Hernia through a memorandum.
Marantan’s new designation has been viewed as “a challenge more than a trap, being in the ‘lion’s den’ where he’s to face political and public pressures, never fearing the criminal underworld which he had beaten to their own game.”
He’s even fondly called as a ‘Man of Steel’ owing to the titanium implants replacing certain parts of his body – 52 metal screws, four bone plates and a replaced knee – after several clashes with armed criminals that left him severely wounded in past major police operations.
Some analysts even expect the bemedalled and God-fearing Marantan to cause the arrest of fugitive Pastor Apollo Quiboloy.
During his stint as chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group for Metro Manila, he enforced the search warrants on the home of the then fugitive Rep. Arnulfo Teves following the Negros Oriental massacre.
In 2008, he solved the assassination case of Abra Rep. Luis Bersamin when he arrested the instigator then Abra Gov. Vicente Valera.
Marantan also led his men in neutralizing 30 armed men believed to be members of the notorious ‘Kuratong Baleleng OGC,’ a criminal group notorious for bank robberies and hostage-takings in many parts of the country.
On account of his fight against criminal elements and terrorists, Marantan was twice promoted on merits.
He received from the Justice Secretary Boying Remulla the ‘PNP Medal of Valor’ for his life-saving acts of bravery on several occasions.
Despite his marvelous feats and well-grounded training, many believe that he’s somehow being short-changed, deprived of what’s due him.
It’s about time that this amazing guy – a decorated officer and a man of action – deserves a little premium in the Officers’ Line.
