Monday, October 13, 2008

Relief of Kalinga police chief sought

Tabuk City, Kalinga – The fate of PSS Maximino Valiente as police director of this province is now up to Camp Crame as Cordillera Police Regional Director Eugene Martin has endorsed the call of majority of the officers of the Kalinga police force and the local clergy for his immediate relief due to alleged lack of concern for the peace and order situation in the province, among other complaints.

In a phone interview, Martin said that he has recommended to the Philippine National Police (PNP) national leadership the relief of Valiente on the grounds cited in the petition signed by 15 of 18 subordinate police officers in the province and the letter of the Kalinga and Apayao Religious Sector Association (KARSA) backing the police officers’ petition.

In their petition, the police officers said that Valiente “does not seem to be concerned about the peace and order situation in the province. He holes up in his quarters and does not even ask his subordinates what is happening. The situation in the provincial office is now to each his own because there is no effective supervision and management.”

The officers also alleged that Valiente “relieves and reassigns personnel without any cause which greatly affects the morale of the PNP organization in the province.”

The officers also claimed that the exact amounts of maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) and gas allocations intended for lower units do not reach them and that the additional MOOE of stations were not given without any explanation.

In their letter of support to the police officers, the KARSA expressed deep concern over the allegation that Valiente does not seem to care about the peace and order situation in the province.

The letter quoted the police officers who approached them as saying that “they cannot work well with the kind of leadership their commander is exhibiting.”

The KARSA took note of the incidents of broad daylight murders right in the heart of the city adding that the public is crying for an end to the violence and the solution of the crimes committed.

The clergymen said that they see no hope for the situation to improve if the police force is saddled with an ineffective leadership and asked Martin for the replacement of Valiente as soon as possible “in the interest of addressing peace and order issues in the province.”

Asked for his side, Valiente who was attending a command conference in Camp Dangwa, Benguet October 3 sent a text message claiming that the petition of the police officers has been resolved as early as April and that the few who signed it have already apologized to him for signing the document.

He added that the officer who has initiated the petition is now relieved for poking a gun on a provincial board member and that his case is now pending with the Ombudsman and the Regional Internal Affair Service (RIAS).

In an earlier interview, Sangguniang Panlalawigan Member Antonio Bakilan scored Valiente’s habitual absences in the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) and the Kapehan sa Kapitolyo which he said is unusual because his predecessors religiously attended these forums.

Bakilan said that Valiente did not even attend the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) when it was held in the province and he was also a no show when the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) invited him to attend its session on September 16.

“How then could we ask questions and air our concerns directly to him? There are things that representatives could not answer. He should show up so that questions could be resolved on the spot and we could plan what to do,” Bakilan said.

Bakilan informed that the SP called Valiente and Tabuk City Chief of Police Alfredo Dangani on September 16 to ask them what they are doing with the spate of violence in the city. Only Dangani showed up, Bakilan said.

“According to Kalinga Provincial Police Office records, there were 10 murders from November 2007 to September 2008 with all the perpetrators at large and unidentified. Some of these murders were committed in broad daylight. Where is the protection the police was supposed to provide us?” Bakilan asked. **By Estanislao Albano Jr., ZZW