Supt. Arcadio Jamora Jr. is the choice of Mayor Dan Lim to become the new Tagbilaran PNP chief. Lim declared his choice in his letter to Senior Supt. Constantino Barot Jr. dated April 18. The mayor said that after conducting an exhaustive search and after due deliberation, he has finally decided to pick Jamora. “Without meaning to downgrade the rest of the nominees who were all equally qualified and competent for the position, I arrived at my choice for the best interest of the City of Tagbilaran,” Lim said. The mayor requested Barot to hold the formal turn-over of command from Supt. Julius Cesar Gornez, outgoing Tagbilaran police chief, to Jamora on May 3.

“This will allow all parties to adequately prepare for the said event,” Lim added in the same letter. The mayor said the preferred date takes into consideration the annual observance of the Feast of St. Joseph on May 1 which also happens to coincide with Labor Day which is a national holiday. Lim's decision to pick Jamora put an end to the guessing game on who will replace Gornez who quietly ended his tour of duty in Tagbilaran. Five names surfaced among Gornez' probable replacement after they completed the deliberation process conducted by the Regional Senior Officers Placement and Promotions Board (RSOPPB). Aside from Jamora, the other names mentioned as candidates for the position were Superintendents Jeffrey Caballes, Antonietto Cuyos and Gil del Prado, Chief Inspectors George Vale and Lorenzo Batuan and Senior Insp. Nicomedes Olaivar.

The names were forwarded to Lim by Barot who also directed the recommendees to report to the mayor so they can lay down their plans and programs if chosen for the post. City hall sources said there was no reason given why Lim picked Jamora over the other nominees. “The mayor is not really very much concerned who is appointed to the position,” one source said. The same source added that Lim has always maintained that he can work with anybody and the chief of police is no exception. Another source said that the mayor has always made it clear that he does not ask for special privileges so it does not bother him if his chiefs of office are not identified with him. “You should take note that he did not replace any of the chiefs of office when he assumed office in 2004,” the second source said. He pointed out that at the time, all the chiefs of office were perceived to be identified with his predecessor but Lim was not bothered at all. “His marching orders are always clear: give it your best shot. Your performance is your best argument to remain in office,” the source quoted Lim's message to the chiefs of office when he took over. Jamora, considered one of the rising stars among Bohol's present crop of police officers, seem to fit Lim's requirements. The new police chief has managed to keep distance from politicians wherever he is assigned.