Piad orders Southern Mindanao police director to clear allegation on Pentagon KFR creation

A ranking official of the Philippine National Police (PNP) has ordered Chief Superintendent Eduardo Matilliano, Southern Mindanao police director, to explain in 48 hours his alleged statements linking the police hierarchy into the creation of the Pentagon kidnap-for-ransom group, which is believed to be behind the abduction of several personalities in the province.

Deputy Director General Rex Piad, chief of the PNP Directorial Staff, said he wants Matilliano to explain why he has implicated the Camp Crame-based Task Force Sanlahi in recent kidnapping activities in Southern Mindanao.

Piad directed Chief Superintendent Lucas Managuelod, chief of the Directorate for Investigation and Detection Management (DIDM), to summon Matilliano to shed light on his allegations.

"If ever there were truth to (newspaper) reports on Matilliano’s allegations, there is a need for him to give us an explanation because these (allegations) had placed the PNP in bad light," he said.

Accusations and counter-accusations by police units operating against kidnapping activities in the country have caused a brewing turf war between the concerned units. Apart from the local police, other groups operating in the area include the PNP Task Force Sanlahi and the National Anti-Kidnapping Task Force (NAKTAF). The military is also assisting in the operations.

Piad said that the PNP leadership under Director General Leandro Mendoza will not tolerate any wrongdoings by his subordinates, particularly those operating against kidnap-for-ransom activities.

Also ordered to appear before Piad and Managuelod’s offices is Senior Superintendent Willy Dangane, the intelligence and operations officer of the General Santos-based task force.

Dangane and another officer were accused by Matilliano to be behind the recent spate of kidnappings in Southern Mindanao.

Piad said it is damaging to the whole police organization for Matilliano to say that the task force was patterned after the Kuratong Baleleng and the Red Scorpion kidnap-for-ransom gangs.

"Task Force Sanlahi" is a special task group created by the PNP, with the approval of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, late last year to counter terrorism and kidnapping activities.

Matilliano was quoted as saying that the Pentagon Group was an "intelligence project" of the Sanlahi task force.

Piad said the apparent brewing turf war between Matilliano and other officials of the units operating against kidnapping in the area may have stemmed from reports that Matilliano may have felt left out by the Sanlahi’s intensified operations against the Pentagon Group. — Christina Mendez