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Col.
Panen to sack
erring
police chiefs
PNP
provincial director Supt. Freddie O. Panen
last week said he will not hesitate to
throw the book at police chiefs who will
continue to violate rules and regulations.
In
an meeting with local media,
Col. Panen said he would have to
abide by the guidelines of the National
Police Commission and relieve erring
police chiefs should they commit their
third offense.
The
provincial director issued the veiled
warning after revealing that he recently
reprimanded the police chiefs of Virac,
Pandan, Caramoran, San Miguel, Bagamanoc,
San Andres, Viga and Panganiban by virtue
of command responsibility after an
inspection of their stations showed minor
lapses such as non-wearing of uniforms,
abandonment of post, drinking of
intoxicating liquor while on duty and
other offenses.
Alongside
disciplinary measures, Panen said, he will
also institute a rewards system wherein
good performance might earn the officer a
recommendation for further schooling.
In
the same meeting held at his office at
Camp Francisco Camacho, Col. Panen bared
that the PNP will have to address major
issues one by one considering its lack of
operational funds.
He
said his initial concentration was on the
elimination of illegal gambling
activities, particularly the “lotteng”
numbers game. Three weeks after the start
of the their campaign, he said the
continuous operation have resulted in a
“highly mobile” numbers game.
As
to their battle against illegal drugs,
Panen said the campaign is hampered by a
deficient criminal justice system in
Catanduanes as well as legal
technicalities. He explained that the PNP
lacks warm bodies while there are only two
prosecutors and two judges to oversee
cases in the island.
On
the other hand, he added, the police force
suffers a black-eye in the community every
time it has to release drug suspects after
the reglamentary 12-hour detention period
as the filing of cases gets bogged down by
the requirement that a forensic laboratory
result on the seized drug be presented to
the court.
In
the campaign against illegal fishing, the
PNP director also lamented the absence of
a cyanide testing laboratory in Bicol
although blast fishing can be proved
through the external manifestations of
fish. He said Gov. Hector S. Sanchez has
promised to repair the idled patrol boat
so it can be used in seaborne patrols in
known illegal fishing areas in Palumbanes,
Caramoran, San Andres and Baras.
As
to the presence of communist rebels, Col.
Panen reiterated his view that the NPA is
a societal problem that needs no military
solution, only reforms. A military
solution would just result in economic
dislocation of residents, he said.
He
disclosed that people here are
“rejectionists kaya hindi makaporma ang
NPA.” He described the rebel movement as
a “dwindling cause,” citing as
evidence its practice of sending
threatening `solicitation’ letters when
they could have just made a show of force.
The
PNP chief here also said his office are
just conducting prophylactic patrols,
although the mobile force assigned here
has been raring for action and has been
going out on patrol at night.
He
also defended the decision of Virac police
chief Col. Rande V. Rosero to resort to
extreme measures in the recent
hostage-taking incident in Salvacion in
which the hostage taker was killed. Panen
said that when the victim is already
bleeding, the only proper course of action
is to disable or kill the suspect in order
to save the victim’s life.
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