Relatives running in 2016 polls: 141 PRO-7 cops to be reassigned

CEBU, Philippines - At least 141 police officers from the Police Regional Office-7 whose relatives are running in the 2016 elections will be re-assigned to other areas.

PRO-7 director Chief Superintendent Prudencio Tom Bañas has required all units to submit a list of the names of the 141 policemen whose relatives up to the fourth degree of consanguinity are seeking for government posts in May.

Bañas said these police officers who are assigned in their hometowns will be reassigned to other units.

“We’ll make it a point nga dili sila ma-assign sa area where they might influence the electorate,” he said.

The transfer of assignments will be effective in January next year before the election period starts. The policemen will return to their original assignments as soon as the election period is over, said Bañas.

“The presumption is we are all professionals. Kami kapulisan, sasali lang sa election to vote, so that they will not be accused of influencing the voters in a particular area for their own security,” Bañas said further.

Bañas stressed that the police will remain neutral in the upcoming elections as part of their mandate.

According to him, there are former police officials who are entering politics like former Cebu Police Provincial Office director Vicente Loot who is running for mayor in Daanbantayan town.

“Alam naman ng tao niya dati they must guard their actuations. Alam na man nila ang consequence,” Bañas said.

He added that he will make sure that security measures will be adopted in Daanbantayan “so that no untoward incidents will happen.”

The PRO-7 director said they are still monitoring for any election hot spots in the region, although they are projecting a peaceful election next year.

He said unlike last time, the mass base of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front in Bohol is now losing.

Narco-politics will also be monitored by the police, Bañas said, to check if there are “politicians involved in drugs or druglords supporting politicians.”

“The community should look into it. Itong politicians supported by druglords, huwag niyo nang suportahan,” the police official added. — (FREEMAN)