PNP to initiate peace covenant among Estancia bets
In a bid to ease the political tension in Estancia town, the Philippine National Police and the Commission on Elections (Comelec) will initiate the signing of a peace covenant between the group of re-electionist Mayor Restituto Mosqueda and former mayor and mayoralty candidate Rene Cordero on March 4, 2010.
Estancia Police Station chief Senior Insp. Dwight Fonte, Jr. said that he already informed Mosqueda and Cordero about the said plan yesterday.
“We also discussed with each party the implementation of the guidelines in the employment of security escorts,” he added.
Fonte had a separate clarificatory conference on the two leaders following the near shootout incident between their two bodyguards Friday.
The dialogue was held at the respective residence of Mosqueda and Cordero. Also present were Vice Gov. Rolex Suplico, Vice Mayor Butching Acalro, and Sangguniang Bayan candidates of each party.
Meanwhile, Fonte said that the March 4 meeting would push once the schedule of the two local leaders would permit.
“We have until March 10 to hold the peace covenant signing,” he added claiming that the said activity was in reference to the order of the Police Regional Office (PRO) VI.
To note, last Friday morning, a near shootout episode transpired in Estancia town between the security escorts of Mosqueda and Cordero while at a wake at Brgy. Bayuyan.
Fonte said that he was not around when the incident happened.
“When I arrived, the two groups had a heated argument,” he narrated.
Prior to that, the Estancia police chief claimed that he was leading the conduct of checkpoint when he received a phone call from Mosqueda who asked about the legitimacy of the two police escorts of Cordero.
Instead of the usual general office attire (GOA), the two police escorts were donned in battle dress attire (BDA) or camouflage green.
“So, I told the mayor that it was not coordinated to me. I immediately went to the area alone and was surprised that they were verbally confronting each other – the men of the mayor and the one of the Mr. Cordero,” Fonte narrated.
Further, he claimed that he saw a firearm tucked on the waistline of Cordero’s security personnel but when he checked the authority of the escorts, it has proper documents.
Later, when Cordero’s front door was opened, he allegedly saw a certain Rammy Balume with a gun silencer.
But Balume, who was later identified as Boy Elmer, managed to escape.
No lapdog
Amid allegations that he was used by Mosqueda to harass the latter’s political opponents, Fonte claimed that he is no lapdog.
“I strongly deny that. I could not blame the people if that’s their perception. But I am merely enforcing the law fairly,” he stressed.
Fact is, Fonte claimed that Mosqueda even questioned him why was the two security details of Mosqueda allowed to wear a camouflage uniform instead of GOA.
