For escorting Mayor to A ‘Fight” vs GUV’S chief of staff Cop chief, 2 others face admin raps

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines  â€” In addition to their relief, the chief of police of Pulupandan town in Negros Occidental, and his two police officers, will be charged with administrative case for serious irregularity in the performance of duty, after they were seen allegedly escorting their mayor who dared the governor’s chief of staff to a “boxing match.”

Facing administrative charges were relieved chief of police, Sr. Insp. Edfel Balibadlan, PO3 Ronaldo Palacios and PO2 Lelanie Lagoting, according to Sr. Supt. Celestino Guara, acting police provincial director, on Tuesday.

The three will be charged for allegedly acting as escorts of Pulupandan Mayor Magdaleno Peña, who was recently disbarred by the Supreme Court from practicing law, when he challenged lawyer Jose Ma. Valencia, the chief of staff of Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr., to a boxing match at the Capitol in Bacolod City on March 25.

However, the administrative charges against Palacios and Lagoting will be one degree lower than that for Balibadlan, Guara said, adding that the two were placed under technical arrest, after their relief from the Pulupandan Police on March 26.

Two weeks later, the remaining 18 policemen of Pulupandan town were also relieved, with the approval of the Comelec, Guara said.

The relief of the entire police force of Pulupandan police station except for its newly installed officer-in-charge, last Saturday, was ordered by Camp Crame, and was aimed at preventing them from being influenced by politicians.

The whole police force was replaced by 22 troopers of the Public Safety Company of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOPPO), with Sr. Insp. Anthony Grande as the town police officer-in-charge, Guara said.

On the administrative charges against the three policemen, Guara said his recommendation for the filing of the case was forwarded to the Police Regional Office 6, which, in turn, designate the presiding officer and members of the hearing board.

For his part, Balibadlan claimed he was on his way to the NOPPO in Bacolod City to submit a report on their checkpoint compliance, when he was informed that Mayor Peña had gone to the Provincial Capitol.

He denied acting as an escort of Peña, and that he only went to the Capitol to try to pacify the latter, who also scolded him. Witnesses, however, said Peña was being followed by Balibadlan and other  policemen, on their way to the Capitol.

Peña said he welcomed the relief of the entire police force of Pulupandan, saying that it was a “standard operating procedure” during an election period.  (FREEMAN)