Police force in Negros town out over alleged poll violations

CEBU, Philippines - Except for the officer-in-charge, an entire police force of a town in Negros Occidental was relieved to prevent the policemen in the team from being influenced by politicians.

Acting Provincial Police Director Senior Supt. Celestino Guara said no less than Camp Crame ordered the relief of about 20 policemen. The Pulupandan Police Station is now being manned by troopers of the Public Safety Company of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office.

The relieved cops, in turn, will handle the assignments of the Public Safety Company troopers.

Guara said the relief was approved by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC).

The relief came after Negros Occidental Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. wrote to Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas who recommended the relief and the filing of charges against Pulupandan Mayor Magdaleno Peña.

On March 25, Senior Insp. Edfel Balibadlan and two other policemen assigned in Pulupandan were also relieved allegedly for “escorting” Peña who challenged Jose Ma. Valencia, Marañon’s chief of staff, to a fistfight at the Provincial Capitol.

Balibadlan, PO3 Ronald Palacios and PO2 Lelanie Lagoting have been placed under technical arrest and were disarmed pending investigation into their acts. Senior Insp. Anthony Grande replaced Balibadlan as Pulupandan police officer-in-charge.

Marañon had asked Roxas to direct the Philippine Army, instead of the Philippine National Police, to assist the Comelec in the May 13 polls in Pulupandan and in other hotspots in the province.

Last week, six suspected New People’s Army assassins shot a policeman and a political supporter dead just 500 meters away from the police station in Barangay Poblacion. The victims were identified as PO1 Bejein Tanguan and Joseph Lutrago, a supporter of mayoralty candidate Santiago Barcelona and the United Negros Alliance, which is being headed by Marañon.

Pulupandan and Escalante are among the 13 towns and cities in Negros Occidental placed under the election watchlist of the PNP and Comelec due to their history of election-related incidents, intense political rivalry and presence of armed men.

Peña who is supporting the gubernatorial bid of his relative, Vice Governor Genaro Alvarez Jr., said he has not violated election laws by using the policemen. He also said that Balibadlan and two other policemen did not escort him to the Capitol but followed him there to watch the debate he had hoped to have with Marañon.

Peña, who is not seeking reelection as Pulupandan mayor, also asked if Marañon was incapable of addressing the problems of the province that he had to seek Roxas’ help.

Marañon also recommended Guara’s relief as NOPPO caretaker for alleged clear and apparent bias and partiality and for allowing himself to be used in threatening and terrorizing residents in Negros Occidental.

Guara who got the ire of Marañon for declaring that the recent killings in Escalante town have nothing to do with politics and were purely insurgency-related, vehemently denied that he is engaged in partisan politics.

The Escalante police officer-in-charge, Supt. Jefferson Descallar, is also up for relief and Guara has recommended Supt. Leonardo Borromeo formerly assigned at the Bacolod City Police Office to replace him.

Meanwhile, Chief Supt. Agrimero Cruz, regional director of Western Visayas, said there is no evidence showing that Guara engaged in partisan politics. –/JMO (FREEMAN)