Mayors press plea for police control

Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay yesterday expressed full support for Pasay Mayor Wenceslao "Peewee" Trinidad’s call for the return of supervision and control of the police to local chief executives.

"I note that there is already a clamor among many of our legislators and even within the PNP itself to return control back to local government executives. Should you wish, I am also willing to ask our colleagues to rally behind you on this issue," Binay said.

Tagaytay City Mayor and newly-elected League of City Mayors President Francis Tolentino also called on the House of Representatives to immediately pass a law authorizing local chief executives to have direct supervision and control over the police.

Trinidad said that the threat of peace and other breakdowns in every community has reached an alarming level. This, the mayor added, is because of dismal police action against the proliferation of illegal drugs, dangerous vices, banditry and other menacing crimes of organized groups.

The mayor also appealed to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to support the city mayors’ call saying that her help could become the stepping-stone towards achieving better peace and order in every community in the country.

"I believe that it is better if the local chief executives are given the full authority to supervise and control the police so they could be effective crime czars in their respective communities," Trinidad said.

Another issue that the mayor wants resolved is the assignment of chiefs of police to very town and city. According to Trinidad, local chief executives must be given the right to select their own police chiefs not based on a list of nominees by the PNP.

Trinidad shares Binay’s idea that selecting chiefs of police must be left to the mayors to give more life to the Constitutional mandate of localization and devolution.

The mayor also urged the church and civil society to support his call for better and improved peace and order situation in every community in the country.