BY ASHZEL HACHERO
THE Metro Manila Mayor’s League yesterday
condemned the police takeover of the Iloilo provincial capitol,
saying the incident stained the country’s image before the
world.
Manila Mayor Lito Atienza, league president,
said Wednesday’s takeover, which showed members of the PNP
Regional Mobile Group based in the Western Visayas manhandling
civilians, stole the gains from the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations and East Asian summits hosted by the Philippines
last week in Cebu.
"With the international press showing the
incident to the world the image of our country has been
stained," he said. "There was really an arrogant use of power
here and I can understand the feelings of my fellow mayors
because I myself feel the same way."
President Arroyo has said the success of the
summits, which ended Jan. 15, is "an unstoppable force that will
help drive the Philippine agenda in the years to come."
TV footage showed the policemen in full
battle gear pointing their guns at supporters of Gov. Niel Tupas
and smashing glass panels of the capitol building to gain entry
to the building.
Tupas’ son, provincial board member Niel
"Jun-Jun" Tupas Jr., said they were kicked, shoved aside and
threatened with M16 rifles by the policemen who were sent to
evict the governor and his supporters from the building.
Tupas was ordered dismissed by the Ombudsman.
He obtained a 60-day temporary restraining order on Wednesday,
but the policemen did not immediately receive a copy.
The Commission on Human Rights on Thursday
ordered an investigation into the incident as chairwoman
Purificacion Quisumbing described TV footage on the police
takeover as a "very shocking view."
Atienza, an ally of President Arroyo, called
for a thorough investigation.
He also appealed to Arroyo to investigate if
there was abuse in the enforcement of suspension and dismissal
orders issued by the Ombudsman against local officials and
enforced by the interior department during the election period.
The League of Cities of the Philippines on
Thursday expressed concern over the series of suspension and
termination orders. It raised the matter with Arroyo during
their convention.
The United Opposition has said the series of
suspension and dismissals orders could be part of Malacañang’s
plan to cripple the opposition in the May elections.
Tupas is among at least 15 executives served
dismissal or suspension orders by the interior department in
less than a week.
The election period which started Jan. 15
bans suspensions and reassignments.
POLITICAL TERRORISM
Sen. Rodolfo Biazon accused Malacañang of
engaging in "political terrorism" to crush its opponents in the
May 14 elections.
"The target of this political terrorism is to
eliminate all those who are opposed to the present
administration, beginning with the political opposition, to
scare everyone into submission in the coming electoral exercise
this May," Biazon said.
Biazon said even administration allies were
turned off by the use of excessive force by the police.
He noted that the League of Cities and other
local government groups, which are considered "work horses" for
the administration’s drive to revise the charter, have expressed
outrage over the use of excessive force.
"It is heartening to note, however, that the
political terrorism targets not only the opposition, but
including those who may be considered as allies of the
President," Biazon.
"They (Palace LGU allies) are rejecting this
and are fighting back in different ways," he added but did not
elaborate.
He said the Iloilo raid was just part of the
continued political terrorism being inflicted by government
against its critics.
LAPSES
Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno hinted of
lapses by the RMG members but insisted there was no overkill in
the takeover of the capitol.
Puno, in an interview over radio dzBB, said
he has sent Chief Supt. Geary Barias, chief of the PNP
Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management, to find
out why the clearing operations turned chaotic.
He said Chief Supt. Orlando Dulay, chief of
the Western Visayas region police, ordered his men not to point
their guns at the civilians.
"So, may mga naglabag diyan kung totoo yung
naririnig ko. Yung may mga lumabag diyan, siyempre madidisiplina
yan," Puno said.
Puno, however, said he will wait for the
outcome of the investigation, saying it is premature to conclude
that the RMG members violated police operational procedures.
He said if there were violations, the case
would be brought to the National Police Commission which he
heads.
But punishment for offending RMG members
could be immediately be meted by PNP chief Oscar Calderon, he
said.
Puno said if Tupas and his group only
followed the examples of suspended Batangas Gov. Armando Sanchez
and Jaen, Nueva Ecija Mayor Antonio Esquivel in dismantling
their barricades, the dispersal would have been unnecessary.
ACTION NEEDED
He said when Dulay called him up early on
Wednesday, the latter reported "it’s still a one entry one exit
situation" at the capitol and Tupas’ supporters were still at
the premises.
He said Dulay had to take action when
nighttime was approaching.
Puno said Tupas’ petition for a TRO was filed
only Wednesday morning while Tupas’ supporters had been massing
at the capitol for two days before the RMG was deployed to evict
them.
He said the RMG members left when they were
shown a copy of the TRO.
Puno belied the observation of the Commission
on Human Rights that there was an obvious violation of human
rights.
He said arming the policemen was called for
because of reports on the presence of armed local government
jail guards.
"At hindi naman puwedeng pumasok ang mga
pulis natin doon na itataya din ang sarili sa panganib at pag
nakita na hindi rin sila handa ay lalong mas magkakaroon ng
problema," he said.
CHR PREJUDGING CASE?
Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez accused the
CHR of prejudging the incident as a case of police abuse of
power.
"I sincerely hope that you do not prejudge
the incident on the basis of what you have seen on television. I
regret to say that your comments which compared the Tupas
incident with the situation in Iraq are an obvious prejudgment
against the police. I believe this is uncalled for," Gonzalez
said in a two-page letter to Quisumbing.
Gonzalez said he would welcome any investigation that may be
called by the CHR, but this should be conducted by "people with
open minds because we seem to have the penchant of blaming the
police even if they were merely acting in pursuit of legal
orders."
