Cops defy deployment to Basilan

MANILA, Philippines - Almost 200 policemen defied the order of President Duterte for deployment in Mindanao.

Only 53 of the 287 “erring” policemen showed up for deployment and arrived in Zamboanga City on a military transport plane yesterday.

Of the 287 errant policemen that Duterte wanted deployed to Basilan, 253 are from Metro Manila under the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO). Some of them are assigned to the five police districts in the metropolis.

NCRPO chief Director Oscar Albayalde said the total 219 policemen who failed to show up for deployment to Basilan would be allowed explain their side.

“They are not wanted nor dubbed as persons of interests. They would be given time to explain their reasons why they snubbed their reassignment order to Basilan,” he said.

Albayalde said the 219 policemen could still report to Basilan in three days but this time, they would have to shoulder their transport expenses.

But if they would still refuse, Albayalde said the erring policemen would be declared AWOL and could be dismissed from the service.

Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesman Senior Supt. Dionardo Carlos said 40 of the policemen presented their excuses. Some of them are required to appear in court hearings while some are already retiring.

He said the remaining 194 policemen who failed to show up for deployment to Basilan will face administrative charges.

“When the accounting was made during the send off Tuesday morning, there were 53 who boarded the C130 plane bound for Mindanao. Additional cases will be filed against those who did not report (yesterday),” Carlos said.

Of the 53 policemen who showed up for deployment, 34 of them belong to the NCRPO.

The others are from Region III and the Cordillera region.

Most of the erring policemen are facing criminal charges as well as administrative cases.

The 53 were the first batch of errant policemen reassigned to Basilan by President Duterte and PNP chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa.

Chief Supt. Theodore Sindac, police director of Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), received the 54 policemen as they touched down at the Edwin Andrews Air Base.

They were later escorted to Naval Force Western Mindanao (NFWM) and transported to Basilan on the Navy’s Landing Ship Transport.

Sindac said the policemen are under orders to report to the ARMM regional police (PRO-ARMM).

Sindac said the processing will be done in Basilan where the policemen will undergo drug testing and briefing on their assignment.

Sindac, however, did not say where in Basilan the policemen would be deployed.

But he said the regional police will treat the erring lawmen as one of their own.

“There will be no retraining, no transformation, they will be considered as one of us. They will fight side-by-side with the PNP officers and men of PRO-ARMM and the police in Basilan will be augmented to fight against the Abu Sayyaf,” Sindac said.

He assured the policemen would be reissued their individual firearms for their security and protection.

Sindac said the policemen will be part of Task Force Basilan and they will be on the team for two years.

Sindac assured the policemen they will be entitled to hazard pay along with other benefits just like their colleagues in Mindanao.

To prove their loyalty

There are a total of 287 errant policemen that Duterte wanted to be deployed to Basilan. A total of 253 of the policemen belonged to the NCRPO.

Of the 253 listed by the NCRPO, 93 showed up during the body count on Sunday, but their number decreased in the succeeding accounting of personnel.

A total of 73 policemen showed up during the body count on Monday and this further dwindled to 53 who showed up for deployment to Basilan.

According to Albayalde, the 34 policemen from Metro Manila who accepted their reassignment to Basilan showed up to prove their loyalty to the PNP as they insisted that they are not guilty of the charges hurled against them.

“They are willing to face their punishment and time would tell whether they would be reformed in Basilan. They are all in high spirits. I now call them the heroes of Basilan,” he said.

Two of the policemen who identified themselves as SPO3 Misuari and PO2 Gamurot said their deployment is just part of the job to serve the country as member of the PNP.

“We are here to serve. It’s OK to be here because we are police. We voluntarily entered the police service so he have to follow the order,” Misuari said.

But one of them, SPO2 Elmer Calibuso from Region 2, broke into tears, saying he would miss his three children.

“It really hurts me to leave them behind. I would miss my family,” he said. – Non Alquitran, Roel Pareño