ILOILO City – In August 2016 President Rodrigo Duterte stripped Iloilo mayors Mariano Malones of Maasin, Alex Centena of Calinog and Sigfredo Betita of Carles of the power to exercise supervisory control over their respective local police forces.
Duterte linked the three to illegal drugs.
Nearly two years after, the mayors were not anymore in the so-called “narco list” of the President, said Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr., citing a copy of an updated list that House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez possessed.
So will Malones, Centena and Betita get back supervision and control over the police in their respective jurisdictions?
Defensor asked National Police Commission (Napolcom) Region 6 director Joseph Celis this during yesterday’s Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) meeting at the provincial capitol.
Celis said he would seek clarification from the Napolcom central office.
Pursuant to Section 64 of Republic Act 8551 (Philippine National Police Reform and Reorganization Act of 1998), mayors and governors are automatically deputized as representatives of Napolcom in their respective jurisdictions, and are allowed to “inspect police forces and units, conduct audit, and exercise other functions as may be authorized by the Commission.”
In 2015 Napolcom expanded the police powers given to governors and mayors as its deputies in Memorandum Circular No. 2015-003.
Local chief executives (LCEs) were authorized to formulate and adopt effective mechanisms for the coordination, cooperation and consultation involving local executives, citizenry and law enforcement agencies consistent with and in pursuance of the implementation of the Community and Service-Oriented Policing (CSOP) system.
With their expanded functions, governors and mayors were mandated to formulate and pursue a three-year, term-based Peace and Order and Public Safety Plan, following the guidelines and policies of the Department of the Interior and Local Government.
They were likewise authorized to convene the Peace and Order Council (POC) quarterly, or as often as the need arises, and submit semestral POC accomplishment reports.
City/municipal POC accomplishment reports must be submitted to the Provincial POC, while PPOC accomplishment reports must be submitted to the Regional POC.
Failure of a governor or mayor to perform the additional functions and duties shall be deemed engaging in acts which negate the effectiveness of the peace and order campaign of the country and which, once validated or established, shall be a ground for the suspension or withdrawal of the deputation by the commission./PN
