Calderon orders dismantling of private armies, clampdown on loose firearms
Former PRO 6 regional director Chief Supt. Geary
Barias, PNP chief Director General Oscar Calderon
and newly-installed PRO 6 regional director Chief
Supt. Wilfredo Dulay, Sr. during the turn-over
ceremonies at Camp Delgado last Friday.
To forestall political violence in connection with the midterm elections on May, Philippine National Police chief, Director General Oscar Calderon ordered his provincial directors to dismantle private armed groups and confiscate loose firearms.
Calderon was at the Police Regional Office (PRO) 6 headquarters in Camp Martin Delgado Friday for the turn over of command from Chief Superintendent Geary Barias to incoming regional commander, Chief Superintendent Wilfredo Dulay Sr.
With the election period to start on January 14, Calderon said that security plans are already in place to ensure that the elections in May will be peaceful.
During a command conference with city and provincial police directors of Region VI yesterday, Calderon also ordered provincial directors to prevent political killings in their areas.
To prevent police officials from engaging in partisan political activity, several provincial directors will be relieved from their post, Calderon announced.
"I will be keeping a scoreboard of the accomplishments of every provincial director at the operations center. A 10-40% reduction in the loose firearms for every province would be great," Calderon said.
According to the PNP, there are 406,686 loose firearms in the country based on 2006 statistics.
Do not just set up checkpoints, apply for search warrant to confiscate these loose firearms, Calderon advised.
Calderon also ordered his provincial directors to dismantle private armed groups of politicians. Calderon said that there is the perception that politicians are building up their private armed groups for the elections.
"That is the job of the provincial directors," the PNP chief said, as he warned those that are remiss in their jobs of being relieved of their position.
"There are many officers applying to be appointed provincial directors," he pointed out.
He also said that members of the communist New People's Army might serve as guns for hire.
"You go after them," Calderon told his provincial directors.
He also ordered the chiefs of police to prevent political killings, including those of leftist groups and journalists.
"If you're a chief of police, and case of political killing happens in your area, you will be administratively relieved of your post to pave the way for an investigation and to remove the presumption that your involvement," he said, adding that in case there is a political killing, the police should immediately conduct an investigation on the case itself, and arrest the perpetrators as soon as possible.
Again, Calderon gave the responsibility of whether or not the chief of police will be relieved to the provincial directors.
In connection with the May elections, 20 provincial directors around the country will be relieved of their posts, he revealed.
Current provincial directors who have been staying in that position for at least two years, or those with close relatives running for any elective position, or those accused of partisan activity will be relieved from their post, Calderon said.
This is to prevent police officials from getting involved in the elections, he explained.
In Western Visayas, Superintendent William Macavinta of Aklan will have to be relieved despite the favorable recommendation of the business community, Calderon said.
"That is the policy so we will have to enforce it," he said.