Lacson padlocks Cudal's office

The office of relieved Chief Superintendent Steve Cudal of the Community Relations Group (CRG) has been padlocked by the Philippine National Police.

PNP chief Director General Panfilo Lacson ordered Chief Superintendent Nestorio Gualberto to padlock Cudal’s office located just across the Base Police headquarters, Camp Crame sources said yesterday.

Meanwhile, the dismissed CRG chief, who got into trouble when his cover was blown after telling a television reporter about growing demoralization in the police force, has filed a petition with the Quezon City court to stop Lacson’s order for his relief.

In his petition for temporary restraining order, Cudal questioned Lacson’s memorandum last Thursday reassigning him on "floating status" to the Administrative Holding Center, Headquarters Support Service.

And while the Quezon City Regional Trial Court has yet to act on Cudal’s petition, Lacson made sure the official cannot enter his old office tomorrow.

The suspected growing disenchantment within the PNP got more ballast yesterday when the PNP Reform Movement, a shadowy group composed of disgruntled officers, accused Lacson of playing favorites in the awards of promotions and giving out assignments.

The group said Lacson had enforced a kind of "martial rule" within the police organization.

In a manifesto distributed at Camp Crame offices late Friday, the group claimed that the PNP rank is demoralized also because of the promotion of Senior Superintendents Nicanor Bartolome, Michael Ray Aquino, Cesar Mancao and Teofilo Vina, and Superintendent John Campos.

Bartolome is PNP spokesman and head of the information office, while Aquino, Mancao, Vina and Campos are assigned with the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force which Lacson heads in a concurrent capacity.

"The recent promotion of... Bartolome stirred a lot of speculations and brought the PNP like a house on fire. It is so funny how Bartolome got promoted, but you have to remember he amuses... Lacson," the group’s three-page manifesto read.

Bartolome was out of his office and was unavailable for comment.

The group also said Lacson abused his powers when he ordered his deputy generals Romeo and Reynaldo Acop and Jaime dela Cruz to pass a resolution promoting Bartolome.

They also said the PNP chief was responsible for the promotion of Criminal Investigation and Detection Group head Francisco Zubia Jr. who reentered the service after a stint in politics and being on "floating status" for three years due to the Kuratong Baleleng case.

Meanwhile, respondents in Cudal’s complaint for injunction or TRO are Lacson and PNP Personnel and Records Management Director Rey Acop.

Cudal, a career civil service personnel with 33 years of active service, was sacked for revealing in a digitally altered interview with TV reporter Erwin Tulfo about the growing demoralization within PNP ranks.

But Zubia said Cudal’s face was identified "through the use of modern technology." – With reports from Pia Lee-Brago