BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — Police Regional Office 6 director Chief Superintendent Cipriano Querol Jr. snubbed an invitation of the Negros Occidental Provincial Board for a dialog at the Capitol on Sept. 14 about the National Police Commission order stripping Escalante City Mayor Melecio Yap Jr. of police power.
The PB members were dismayed over his non-appearance at the scheduled closed-door meeting. "We were surprised that he did not show up. We have prepared necessary papers and most of us came from our respective districts just to attend the executive session with him," PB Member Salvador Escalante (2nd District) said.
Escalante said he came from Cadiz City in northern Negros and one of his colleagues, PB Member Pedro Zayco (5th Dist.), set off early from Kabankalan City in the southern part of the province only to realize that Querol could not come.
Vice Governor Genaro Alvarez Jr. said the PB will hold a caucus to decide on what to do on the actions of Querol, who earlier made a lot of requests related to the meeting only to snub it at the last minute.
However, PB Member Nehemias Dela Cruz (1st Dist.) said he respected the decision of Querol in not attending the dialog, and they cannot force him to attend the meeting, although the non-attendance caught the PB by surprise.
Alvarez said Querol wrote a letter dated September 13, addressed to Babette Diaz, acting PB secretary, informing that he could not come to the dialog. As early as August 22, the PB invited the police official to this meeting to shed light on the mayor's case.
The dialog was set after the NAPOLCOM ordered last month that Yap be stripped of control over the Escalante City Police, based on a progress report on the killings in that area submitted by Querol to DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo.
Querol had also recommended to Robredo, the NAPOLCOM head, for the temporary suspension of administrative and operational control of Yap over the Escalante police "until such time that the situation improves."
Querol however wrote to the PB, a copy of which was furnished to the media by Dela Cruz, stating: "It is with deep regret that I cannot attend such meeting and meet the honorable members of the PB because of a pressing matter that I have to attend to."
He added: "Besides, I was informed that a complaint was already filed before the Office of the Ombudsman against me relative to my actions which is the subject of said meeting. Allow me then to answer the issue mentioned in the said complaint in the proper forum."
Meanwhile, Yap's authority over his local police is still in effect despite the NAPOLCOM order, according to Sr. Supt. Allan Guisihan, Negros Occidental Police director, because the implementing guidelines for such have not been issued yet.
The NAPOLCOM resolution, dated July 15, 2011, ordered the suspension of the administrative and operational control of Yap over the Escalante police due to the reported several extra-judicial killings in the city and the allegations of his close association with the New People's Army. - THE FREEMAN