Angeles mayor nixes media’s demand for cop chief’s relief

ANGELES CITY — This city’s mayor has admitted that some members of the local police are involved in criminality, but turned down the demand of the Pampanga Press Club (PPC) to relieve Senior Superintendent Policarpio Segubre from his post as city police chief.

"It is true that some policemen have been found to be involved in petty crimes," Mayor Carmelo Lazatin told PPC members who gave him a copy of their resolution declaring Segubre persona non grata for what they claimed were his "acts of arrogance toward media and gross incompetence in the performance of his duties."

PPC members held a rally in front of City Hall here last Thursday and presented their resolution to Lazatin.

For his part, Segubre called up some PPC members to apologize for his attitude toward the local media.

He vowed to make city policemen more visible amid complaints about rising criminality and worsening traffic along major thoroughfares.

PPC members observed that since Segubre came to know about the resolution, traffic in the entire city significantly improved, with uniformed policemen deployed at the commercial and business districts.

"I hope this lasts," said PPC secretary Rendy Isip.

Lazatin met with the PPC members after their rally to appeal in behalf of Segubre.

While admitting that some policemen have been found to be involved in crimes, he said Segubre should be given a chance to prove his worth.

He said it was Segubre who ran after a stolen vehicle, which, for unknown reasons, was returned by local policemen to a suspected car thief arrested last week.

He did not say whether the policemen who returned the stolen vehicle were charged.

Lazatin also revealed that the suspected operator of a gambling den that was recently raided turned out to be a son of a local policeman.

Mediamen in Iloilo City, where Segubre served as police chief before he was transferred here, called up the officers of the PPC to express their support for their resolution, saying they, too, were dissatisfied with Segubre during his stint in their city.

The PPC is set to meet this weekend to discuss Lazatin’s plea in Segubre’s behalf.

Contrary to nagging reports, Lazatin said presidential brother-in-law Negros Occidental Rep. Ignacio "Iggy" Arroyo had nothing to do with Segubre’s appointment as Angeles City police chief.

Segubre denied PPC’s allegations that jueteng, in the guise of the legal EZ-2 game, has resurfaced under his term.

He said he was the first Angeles City police chief who totally stopped the illegal video karera following a raid on the warehouse of a suspected operator.