ILOILO City – The appeal of Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. for police generals and colonels to tender courtesy resignations to cleanse the Philippine National Police (PNP) of those linked to illegal drugs is “demoralizing the entire PNP,” according to Councilor Plaridel Nava.
“With all due respect to the SILG (Secretary of Interior and Local Government), you are demoralizing the entire PNP. Kon may ara gid man sang rotten eggs, you should address and attack the rotten eggs. Do not generalize,” Nava said yesterday.
Calling on police generals and colonels to resign will not solve the problem but will create another problem, he added.
The best solution is for the government to expose those rotten eggs, file charges against them and sack them from service, said Nava.
“I have been a very active campaigner against illegal drugs. Damu kita ginpang-expose nga mga police during Senate hearings. Some of the police nga ginpang-expose naton nagkala-dismiss. Wala ako nag-generalize. Kinanglan may ebidensya, itudlo mo sin-o protector, sin-o ang sa likod sang illegal drug trade,” he added.
Nava stressed the importance of political will on the part of the President and of the SILG to disclose who are the drug lords and protectors like what former President Rodrigo Duterte did.
“Resignation is not the solution. The solution is a political will nga ang may ngalan nga sigurado gid should be removed from service,” said Nava.
As to his assessment on the campaign against illegal drugs of the current Marcos administration, Nava said, “We are frustrated…We were hoping during the inaugural speech nga ma-mention ‘ya nga ang illegal drug trade, the drug war will be continued. Wala eh. So I do not know kon ano ang direction sang sini nga administration against illegal drugs.”
On the performance of the local police in this city and the whole Western Visayas, Nava lauded the police as there were many illegal drug confiscations, buy-bust operations and apprehension of illegal drug personalities.
However, as to why there are still illegal drugs until now despite the six years campaign of the former Duterte administration, is still the question.
“We were hoping nga wala na di mga drug lords, iban nagkalamatay, iban nagkalapriso. Ngaa subong nagbalalik ang mga drug personalities? What gives them that confidence? This is a big challenge to (Police Regional Office 6 regional director) General Leo Francisco and (Iloilo City Police Office director) Col. Leo Batiles,” Nava said.
Nevertheless, the city councilor stressed that he still trusts Francisco and Batiles as they are doing their jobs so far.
TREÑAS SUPPORTS ABALOS’ CALL
On the other hand, Mayor Jerry P. Treñas expressed his support on the call of Abalos.
He said that as a local chief executive, he is very concerned about the possibility that there are still PNP officers playing footsies with the new drug personalities.
“I am certain that Sec. Benhur has sensitive information about the issue which is not available to all of us,” said the city mayor.
It was Treñas, who is the League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP)’s national adviser, who moved for the passage of the league’s resolution “expressing support to the DILG secretary’s appeal for the said courtesy resignation as part of the PNP’s internal cleansing campaign.”
For the LCP, the call of Abalos is necessary in upholding the principles enshrined in the Constitution, particularly the prime duty of the state, through the PNP, to serve and protect its people.
It further believes that it is an opportunity to purge the PNP of few individuals advancing their selfish interests that negatively impact the entire police organization.
“The League sees that this appeal is an opportunity to defend the honor and sacrifices of police officers who put their lives on the line to keep our communities safe,” the LCP’s resolution further read. /PN
