Calderon belies Bacoor mayor’s raps vs police

Purely speculative and baseless.

This was how Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Oscar Calderon described the allegations of Bacoor, Cavite Mayor Jessie Castillo that the police in the province are engaging in partisan political activities.

"The PNP is a professional organization and it is unfair for anyone to claim control of the PNP," Calderon said.

Castillo alleged that a high-ranking Cavite politician, whom he did not name, is using the local police to further his political agenda.

The Bacoor mayor is facing charges before the Imus regional trial court for padlocking police stations in his town recently to protest a supposed plan to replace municipal policemen.

Calderon stressed that the PNP will enforce all election-related prohibitions without fear or favor during the election period.

Also to show the PNP’s resolve to address the issue of partisan armed groups, Calderon is set to create a task force to go after them.

Calderon assured Castillo though that the PNP will not tolerate police officers who would seek political patronage just to propel their police career.

He, however, challenged the mayor to prove his allegations by naming the policemen allegedly being used by Cavite politicians and presenting evidence against them.

Chief Superintendent Samuel Pagdilao Jr., PNP spokesman, criticized Castillo for misleading the public by claiming that administration candidates, with the help of the police, manipulated the results of the 2001 elections in Cavite.

"How can he claim that the PNP rigged the elections in 2001 in Bacoor in favor of the administration when he won his seat against then administration bet Lani Mercado? I was the provincial director of Cavite during the 2001 elections and we never allowed the PNP to be used in partisan politics," Pagdilao said.

Castillo claimed that the removal of the Cavite police chief in 2001 was illegal since it had no clearance from the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Pagdilao said Castillo’s claim was devoid of truth. "Everything the PNP (did) in connection with the 2001 elections in Cavite was above board, lawful and had the imprimatur of the Comelec provincial official," he said.

Pagdilao also belied Castillo’s claim that four armored personnel carriers were deployed in Cavite in 2001, saying the mayor merely wanted to project that the PNP "militarized" the province then.

Senior Superintendent Fidel Posadas, Cavite police director, is set to submit additional evidence against Castillo, including his paid newspaper manifesto where he raised his allegations.

"One wonders whether government money was used to fund this paid manifesto," Posadas said.