[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading heading=’ILOILO GUV SLAMS ‘QUOTA ARRESTS’ ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
[/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=”]
ILOILO – Is a police station performing poorly just because it has a few – or even zero – drug-related arrests?
The number of arrests a police station makes should not be the sole basis for gauging its performance in the campaign against illegal drugs, according to Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr.
“When you look at their (arrest) statistics, some municipal police stations may appear to be non-performing. But who else will the policemen arrest when, in the first place, their towns are already peaceful,” said the governor.
Seven chiefs of police may be held administratively liable for their men’s failure to make drug-related arrests from Sept. 9 to Oct. 6, according to the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO).
Defensor said he hoped the IPPO and Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) will take his point into consideration before imposing sanctions on the seven police chiefs.
The governor cited the town of San Rafael in northern Iloilo. He said the small municipality’s peace and order situation is very manageable.
“Before the IPPO or PRO-6 take drastic action against the chief of police of a particular municipality, it should check the real situation on the ground,” Defensor said. “For all you know, malinong na ang banwa.”
Defensor questioned the “quota” (number of arrests) given to police station chiefs.
“I doubt very much if that’s really a hard and fast rule, that there is a need for a town to tukhang a particular number of illegal drug personalities within a specific period. I don’t believe in such quota,” the governor said.
“But what I am sure is General (Jose) Gentiles has an order that dugangan nila ila effort nga mangin mas madinalag-on kag magtaas accomplishment,” he added.
Some municipal mayors were reportedly complaining on behalf of their chiefs of police about the so-called “quota arrests” as basis for measuring their performance in the campaign against illegal drugs. Defensor, however, said no mayor personally complained to him about this.
Thursday last week, IPPO said seven police chiefs could lose their posts. They were “without positive operational accomplishments on illegal drugs,” said Chief Inspector Aron Palomo, information officer of the IPPO.
If they do not shape up, the following could also be facing administrative charges:
* Tubungan’s Senior Inspector Rolando Araño
* Alimodian’s Senior Inspector Ramon Coriana Jr.
* Anilao’s Senior Inspector Ronald Paclibar
* Dingle’s Senior Inspector Marvin Buenavista
* Lemery’s Senior Inspector Elmer Villaruel
* San Dionisio’s Senior Inspector Daniel Robles, and
* San Rafael’s Inspector Ruben Perra./PN
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
