CPPO stands by cops who apprehended Kaohsiung buses

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu Provincial Police Office will support its men in any investigation that would be opened in relation to the alleged illegal apprehension of Kaohsiung buses in Barili town last Monday.

Acting Provincial Police Director Sr. Supt Erson Digal asserted yesterday that the operation was legitimate and he will be supporting his men in any investigation.

Members of the Barili police apprehended and held the eight Kaohsiung buses allegedly for lack of registration documents.

However, the Land Transportation Office-7 released the licenses confiscated from the drivers of the Kaohsiung buses, saying the apprehension was illegal because the Barili policemen are not deputized enforcers of LTO.

The policemen also allegedly failed to issue any receipt or the Temporary Operator’s Permit (TOP), precisely because they are not deputized officers of LTO.

Aden Belza, officer-in-charge of LTO-7’s operations division and head of adjudication, said the Barili policemen violated Republic Act 4136 or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code.

Still, Digal said it may be that LTO-7 just do not have any list of police personnel in Barili and might just have missed one policeman who have been deputized.

Meanwhile, City Planning and Development Coordinator Engineer Paul Villarete said that the Barili policemen committed usurpation of authority and functions for doing something that is beyond their power.

Villarete, coordinator of the county program for children (CPC6) of UNICEF, criticized what the police in Barili did for holding the children and starving them for four hours. – THE FREEMAN