PNP: Mayor liable for removing support for cops

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) vowed to hold accountable a mayor in Metro Manila who allegedly withdrew support from the local police after he was not informed about the designation of a new city police chief.

Speaking to reporters in an interview yesterday, PNP chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde said he directed Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, director of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), to submit a report to Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año about the mayor’s behavior, which he described as “childish.”

“The SILG (Secretary of the Interior and Local Government) will probably make him to explain,” Albayalde said of the mayor, whom he refused to identify.

Sought for comment, Eleazar identified the local chief executive as Marikina Mayor Marcelino Teodoro, who is running for reelection in the midterm elections.

“He is the one who withdrew support to the local police,” Eleazar said in a phone interview.

Another police official who spoke on condition of anonymity said the local chief executive removed the gasoline allowance and financial assistance to the city’s police force. The source claimed the police
official also barred police officers from attending flag-raising rites at the city hall.

Albayalde said the mayor also removed posters of police hotline numbers in the city.

DILG spokesman Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya, for his part, said local officials should not withhold benefits intended for the local police, which are included in appropriation ordinances.

He warned that local government officials withholding financial assistance to the police could be subjected to an investigation.

Unfair

Teodoro, in a phone interview with reporters, branded as unfair the allegations against him and took offense at Albayalde’s statement describing his behavior as childish.

“I think it’s not a childish act. The statement is very unfair,” he said.

Contrary to the claims of the city’s acting police chief, Col. Redrico Maranan, he said what they want is to reduce the gasoline allowance given by the city government to the local police after he found out that the local police has also been receiving gasoline allowance from the PNP headquarters.

“Ang sinabi ko sa pulis ay dapat 50/50 kami ng share,” Teodoro explained.

He also denied allegations that he has barred police officers from attending flag-raising rites and that he took down police posters in the city.

Teodoro belied insinuations that he took offense when he was not informed about the designation of a new police commander in the city.

“These are intrigues being sown by the new chief of police. I strongly suggest the chief PNP should verify first his information before saying anything to the media,” he said.