Mad scramble for top MPD post?

The latest stunt of a veteran attention seeker — who took 26 of his wards hostage last Wednesday — was both a boon and a bane to police officials.

Amid the possible relief of Manila Police District (MPD) director Senior Superintendent Danilo Abarzosa over the handling of the hostage crisis, some senior police officers have reportedly started jockeying for his post.

The MPD is considered a key police assignment and some senior police officers – most of them belonging to Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class 1978 —may find it irresistible.

Last year when MPD chief Pedro Bulaong retired from the service, many names including that of Senior Superintendents Roberto Rosales, Luisito Palmera and Nilo dela Cruz emerged as his possible replacement.

But Bulaong got what he wanted and had Abarzosa —his batchmate in the Philippine National Police Academy Class 1980 —designated as MPD chief. Both can be considered "outsiders" in the PNP top brass, which is composed mostly of PMA alumni.

For now, though, or at least until after the May 14 elections, the beleaguered Abarzosa will stay on in his post.

Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno has approved the request of Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Oscar Calderon to temporarily defer the relief of Abarzosa to allow him to explain his actions during the 10-hour hostage crisis in Manila last Wednesday.

"Upon the request of PNP chief Calderon in a letter to me, I have deferred the order to relieve Abarzosa considering that we are now in the middle of an election season and Abarzosa is in the midst of

implementing his security plan for this critical period," Puno said.

"We will give him a chance to air his side in connection with his handling of the hostage situation," added Puno, who noted that the relief of two other police officials, MPD-Station 5 (Ermita) director Superintendent Rogelio Rosales and MPD Police Community Precinct head Chief Inspector Bernardo Cubacub will stand until after the investigation.

Last Thursday, Puno ordered the administrative relief of the three police officials for their failure to enforce the rules on hostage-taking situations when 56-year-old Armando Ducat Jr. took 26 kids and four teachers hostage inside a bus parked near the Manila City Hall.

"The deferment of Abarzosa’s relief does not mean he is already off the hook. He is still under investigation by a PNP-panel, which has been directed to look into how the police handled the 10-hour hostage crisis," Puno said.

Manila Mayor Lito Atienza said he will oppose Puno’s directive.

Sources said Atienza, who is on his third and last term as mayor of Manila, could not afford to lose Abarzosa especially in the coming election with his son Arnold running for mayor of the city.

"In the first place, Abarzosa is a personal choice of the mayor to head the MPD," said the source, who noted that Abarzosa, ranked senior superintendent, was appointed as acting district director despite the fact that the MPD director should be a one-star general.

Although he is thankful that no one was hurt in the crisis that ended peacefully, Puno made it clear that "there should be hard and fast rules that should be applied in handling these life-threatening situations, which the PNP personnel on the ground should follow."

At the same time, Puno reiterated his gag order on MPD members and "leave it to the PNP investigative panel headed by Deputy Director General Avelino Razon Jr. to assess the way the hostage crisis was handled."

He noted that the PNP will conduct a "meticulous" post evaluation of the Wednesday hostage situation, which was shown on television worldwide.

Puno also said Ducat should not be described as a hero but as a terrorist and criminal for putting at risk the life of innocent children.

"We would like to serve notice to everybody that even if you get Robin Hood and you couch him with priestly robes, when he holds a grenade and keeps hostage children, he automatically becomes a terrorist and we are going to deal with him as a criminal. He is a

criminal no matter how (good) his intentions are and he will be treated as a criminal," Puno said.

Puno also ordered the PNP to "throw the book" at Ducat and his cohorts, pointing out that they cannot justify their act of endangering the lives of 26 children.

He said the investigative group will determine whether the police officers in charge of the hostage crisis had followed operational procedures, such as the formation of crisis management committee headed by the local chief executive in the area; designation of only one ground commander and a set of negotiators; and asking permission from the ground commander or negotiating panel before talking to the hostage taker, among others.

Meanwhile, Malacañang is keeping its hands off the issue of disciplinary action against law enforcers involved in the hostage-taking incident last Wednesday but acknowledged that some changes must be made.

Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said President Arroyo has left it up to the DILG to come up with the appropriate disciplinary actions on the policemen involved in the 10-hour hostage drama.

Although Malacañang has left it up to Puno to work out the details of the sanctions, it did emphasize that measures must be taken to correct the procedural issues during hostage-taking incidents.

"A review of policies, procedures, ground rules as well as the fitness of police commanders is in order," Bunye said.

He pointed out that the President is more concerned about ensuring "speedy justice" for the hostage-takers.

Mrs. Arroyo also wants to provide high-level attention to the needs and concerns of the children and the community in which they reside. The children come from Parola Compound in Tondo, Manila.

"Criminal and social justice, rule of law and compassion for the poor must prevail at all times," Bunye said.

Malacañang has stressed the need to bring full criminal justice upon the hostage-takers, saying they should not be portrayed as heroes so as not to encourage copycats. – With Marvin Sy