Tsinoy traders hit pullout of police escorts

A group of Filipino-Chinese assailed yesterday a plan of the Philippine National Police (PNP) to pull out their police guards without consulting them.

Although police said wealthy traders are targets of kidnappers, the PNP Police Security Protection Office (PSPO) is recalling the police escorts of about 300 individuals, among them 100 wealthy Filipino-Chinese, after the May 14 elections to allow them to concentrate on police duties.

In a text message to The STAR, Teresita Ang-See, Movement for Restoration of Peace and Order (MRPO) president, said the PNP did not consult the Filipino-Chinese community on the plan to pull out their police guards.

"I’ve been receiving frantic calls from (kidnap) victims regarding this," she said.

"There should have been consultation first with (the) victims before decisions like that are made. It will have dampening and demoralizing effect on the victims who dared to file cases in courts against notorious syndicates and big-time (kidnappers) like police and the likes of former congressman and actor Dennis Roldan."

Roldan, who was charged with kidnapping, along with several individuals, is facing trial before the Pasig City Regional Trial Court for the kidnapping of a seven-year old boy a few years ago.

Ang-See said recently a vital witness in the Roldan case was killed in Quezon City.

"We often have to beg them (kidnap victims) to file charges, and withdrawal of security is tantamount to saying the government doesn’t care," she said.

Ang-See also belied the claims of PSPO director Chief Superintendent Romeo Hilomen that the PNP had consulted the Filipino-Chinese community on the planned pull out of the police escorts.

"We had a meeting with three top PSPO officials, including Hilomen last Jan. 20, but we were not informed about the pull out plan," she said.

"If it’s just traders (whose security will be pulled out), OK, they don’t deserve PSPOs, but a lot of victims are traders, and they are frantic because there was no prior consultation," she said.

On the other hand, Hilomen said the PNP and Police Anti-Crime and Emergency Response (PACER) have yet to record any incident of kidnapping related to the elections.

The PNP is giving weight to the information that some wealthy Filipino-Chinese businessmen are targets of kidnappers to finance the candidacy of certain candidates, he added.

Hilomen said wealthy traders can avoid being kidnapped by hiring and employing well-trained civilian security officers, who had undergone training under the supervision of the PNP Civilian Security Group.

"The PNP will not recommend or endorse any civilian security agencies, they (security agencies) have to advertise themselves and their services to wealthy families," he said.

Some wealthy individuals have asked for more security escorts because having them could be a "status symbol," Hilomen said.

Last July, the PNP had launched a program to train civilians as security men for very important persons (VIPs) to unload police of the task.

Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno, National Police Commission chairman, said the VIP security program also aimed to professionalize the security industry and make available highly trained and disciplined bodyguards for visiting dignitaries.

The training of civilians as security escorts would allow the maximum utilization of active duty policemen for police duties, he added.