Negros OCC PNP Director: 'Palace has hand in Escalante cops relief'

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — Malacañang allegedly has a hand in the relief of 12 policemen of Escalante City in Negros Occidental, which led to the withdrawal of support of its local government to the Escalante Police and the padlocking of its police headquarters last Saturday.

Senior Supt. Allan Guisihan, director of the Negros Occidental Provincial Police, yesterday alleged that the order for the relief of the 12 Escalante policemen came from the Palace that pressured the DILG to order PRO-6 regional director Chief Supt. Cipriano Querol to relieve the policemen.

Guisihan said the order was an offshoot of the reported unsolved extra-judicial killings in Escalante City, which was allegedly brought to the attention of President Benigno Aquino III.

He however clarified that the 12 relieved policemen, who were transferred to the PRO-6 headquarters at Camp Delgado in Iloilo on Monday (November 28), were not subject to investigations because no formal complaint has been filed against them as of this time.

Councilor Santiago Maravilla said the relief of 12 policemen from their city by Querol without consulting Escalante Mayor Melecio Yap, was a big insult to the local officials.

The Escalante City Council in turn approved three resolutions, the first of which is to withdraw and stop any and all forms of support to the PNP by the city government.

The second resolution directs the city legal office to file a case at the RTC against the regional and provincial police directors to restrain them from the relief and transfer of 12 policemen out of Escalante.

The third resolution asks the city mayor to assign its building, now used by the police, for the use of the vice mayor and the Council instead.

Yap said he will enforce the Council resolutions. "To prevent policemen from being branded as aligned with me it is better for me to let them operate on their own," he said.

The assistance given to the police can instead be given directly to the people of Escalante, said the mayor, adding that he never used the police for his own ends or for any illegal activity. He said it was an insult that he was not consulted on the relief of the policemen from his city.

Guisihan said the PNP will abide with whatever the decisions of Yap and the City Council, including the order for them to vacate the building donated by the city to house the City Police headquarters. He shared the sentiments of the city government officials, but then his office had no choice but to comply with the orders from the PNP national office.

The Escalante Police will transfer to another location, or may rent a private building, near the soon-vacated police headquarters, said Guisihan as he admitted that the recent development has caused demoralization among the local police force. He, however, assured the city residents that basic police services will remain as they have been.

On Saturday, the Escalante City Police station was stripped of its computers, chairs, and other office equipment, including air conditioning units and patrol car, donated by the city government.

Yap said the city government withdrew its equipment because the policemen, who had signed the memorandum receipts for the items and are accountable for them, had been relieved.

Last June, a total of 15 Escalante policemen were also relieved, including the three escorts of Yap. They were reportedly linked to the series of extra-judicial killings in Escalante since 2007 that is being blamed on the city administration. The situation got worse when the NAPOLCOM issued an order stripping the mayor of his authority to supervise the City Police.

What were cited was Yap's links with the New People's Army, based on the confidential report of Querol and NAPOLCOM-Western Visayas director Honey Paredes. Yap vehemently denied the accusations against him. - THE FREEMAN