ILOILO – Police Colonel Roland Vilela, director of the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO), has demanded an explanation from two municipal police station chiefs and 50 policemen.
He said they were not in their posts when he checked their areas on Monday during the nationwide transport strike.
Vilela identified the two police station chiefs as Police Lieutenant Joebert Amado of Cabatuan and Police Major Leonard Amar of Pavia.
The 50 policemen, on the other hand, were from the municipalities of Pavia (16), San Miguel (11), Maasin (nine), Cabatuan (nine), and Oton (five), said Vilela.
The IPPO director said he went to the police stations of the six towns to get “actual situation reports” on the transport strike.
“The higher headquarters called up dahil hindi pa ako nakapagbigay ng kumpletong situation report, and I cannot give such report in the absence of facts, so I went to these police stations that did not submit reports. I found out that wala ‘yung chiefs of police nila,” said Vilela.
The IPPO placed the entire province under full alert status on Monday due to the transport strike.
“I went, too, sa mga Highway Police Assistance Desks kasi I ordered na maglagay or doble ‘yung personnel nila doon kasi nga transport strike. Sad to know ikaw ‘yung commander wala ka doon. You have to explain that to me,” said Vilela.
In the case of the Cabatuan police chief, Vilela said he learned that Amado was on leave.
It should not have been the case because all leaves are cancelled when the police is on full alert, stressed Vilela.
“I called him up at nag-sorry naman,” said Vilela.
The IPPO director tasked the administrative section of the IPPO to gather the explanations of the two police chiefs and 50 policemen and forward these to the Investigation and Detective Management Division for evaluation.
If proven to have abandoned their posts, they could be charged with dishonesty, considered a grave offense the penalty of which is dismissal from the service.
“Ang iba sabi nila nag-patrolya daw pero when I asked for their integrated patrol deployment eh wala naman sila na-present. So the burden of proof is on them,” said Vilela.
The IPPO director said the effect of the strike to the commuting public was “almost insignificant.”
Only 282 PUJ operators joined the transport strike, he said, from four towns (San Miguel, Cabatuan, Oton, and Leganes),
Vilela also said the day was generally peaceful./PN
