Lina forges PNP truce

Interior and Local Government Secretary Jose Lina Jr. has negotiated a truce between Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Leandro Mendoza and National Anti-Kidnapping Task Force (NAKTAF) commander Deputy Director General Hermogenes Ebdane.

"All is well now within the PNP," he told reporters yesterday.

Lina said Mendoza and Ebdane have agreed that all police anti-kidnapping task forces will be under the command of Ebdane, who will report directly to Mendoza.

"As agreed, all forces and the task groups that have been formed by the PNP will be placed under one unified command and it will be headed by General Ebdane who will report directly to General Mendoza," he said.

Lina said he called Mendoza and Ebdane to a meeting yesterday to resolve the controversial issue involving the two top police officials following the NAKTAF’s arrest of suspected Pentagon kidnap gang leader Faisal Marohombsar in Quiapo, Manila last Saturday.

"I would like to assure our people that there is definitely no turf war within the PNP and I say that with emphasis and with conviction," he said.

Deputy Director General Rex Piad, chief of the PNP directorial staff, has accused NAKTAF agents of leaking to newspapers information ostensibly from Marohombsar, which linked Lina and Mendoza to the kidnapping activities of the Pentagon.

Lina said Ebdane will continue to head NAKTAF, which is under the supervision of Justice Secretary Hernando Perez as head of the National Anti-Crime Commission.

"As head of NAKTAF, General Ebdane will be the concurrent coordinator with the other law enforcement agencies," he said. "There is a need to improve our capability and system to fight the kidnappers."

Senior and junior PNP officers are reportedly dismayed over the "shameless smear campaign" against Lina and Mendoza to derail President Arroyo’s extension of Mendoza’s tour of duty.

"It is sad that the personal ambitions of some of our police leaders only threaten to weaken and bring down the PNP in a desperate and dirty move," a police official said.

"We are totally one with Directorial Staff chief Rex Piad in his demand for a public apology from NAKTAF. In making such pronouncements, NAKTAF did not only do damage to Mendoza and Lina and the institutions they represent," he said.