Binay: Return police control to LGUs
August 4, 2001 | 12:00am
Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay has joined calls to return control of the police to local government units (LGUs).
Binay’s call came after receiving reports that Pasay City Mayor Wenceslao Trinidad was barred from selecting his own police chief by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
It was recently reported that at least four police chiefs of the Southern Police District are set to be replaced including those of Pasay City and Makati City.
In a letter to Trinidad, Binay said that he supported the moves to return police control to mayors and vowed to solicit the support of his colleagues on the issue.
"It is bad enough that as mayors, we are only allowed to select our own police chiefs based on the list of nominees submitted by the PNP. There are also many cases where the police chiefs we choose have been relieved by the PNP higher command without even the benefit of consultation, much less our consent," Binay said.
The same call to retain jurisdiction over the police with the LGUs was raised by Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. during the last meeting of the Metro Manila Council.
Abalos urged PNP chief Director General Leandro Mendoza to allow the mayors to select and dismiss their own chiefs of police to ensure a good relationship between the LGUs and the police.
Binay stressed to his counterparts that the matter is urgent and that concrete action must be taken to "give life to the constitutional mandate of localization and devolution."
"While it is true that our Charter mandates a police force that is national in character, the Constitution is quite clear in giving local government executives the powers to fulfill their obligations and duties," Binay said.
He added that the national government should, as a first step, immediately allow the mayors to select and relieve their own police chiefs.
The jurisdiction of the mayors would later on be expanded depending on how open the PNP is to the proposal.
"In the final analysis, this matter has now become an exercise not of our right and responsibility but of benevolence and gratuity," Binay said.
Binay’s call came after receiving reports that Pasay City Mayor Wenceslao Trinidad was barred from selecting his own police chief by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
It was recently reported that at least four police chiefs of the Southern Police District are set to be replaced including those of Pasay City and Makati City.
In a letter to Trinidad, Binay said that he supported the moves to return police control to mayors and vowed to solicit the support of his colleagues on the issue.
"It is bad enough that as mayors, we are only allowed to select our own police chiefs based on the list of nominees submitted by the PNP. There are also many cases where the police chiefs we choose have been relieved by the PNP higher command without even the benefit of consultation, much less our consent," Binay said.
The same call to retain jurisdiction over the police with the LGUs was raised by Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. during the last meeting of the Metro Manila Council.
Abalos urged PNP chief Director General Leandro Mendoza to allow the mayors to select and dismiss their own chiefs of police to ensure a good relationship between the LGUs and the police.
Binay stressed to his counterparts that the matter is urgent and that concrete action must be taken to "give life to the constitutional mandate of localization and devolution."
"While it is true that our Charter mandates a police force that is national in character, the Constitution is quite clear in giving local government executives the powers to fulfill their obligations and duties," Binay said.
He added that the national government should, as a first step, immediately allow the mayors to select and relieve their own police chiefs.
The jurisdiction of the mayors would later on be expanded depending on how open the PNP is to the proposal.
"In the final analysis, this matter has now become an exercise not of our right and responsibility but of benevolence and gratuity," Binay said.
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