THE Oppositionist United Nationalist Alliance on Sunday urged the Commission on Elections to remove police commanders who have pending poll-violation related cases particularly those who are closely identified with the ruling Liberal Party that harassed the candidates from the opposition in the previous elections.
With some still assigned in provincial and regional directorates, UNA spokesperson Mon Ilagan said the Comelec seems “clueless” of the background of commanders of the Philippine National Police who have been involved in election-related activities and have been charged for violating the Omnibus Election Code.
UNA believes that former Interior and Local Governments Secretary Manuel Roxas II, LP standard bearer, has somehow managed to deploy his people in key posts before resigning from the Cabinet.
As a case in point, Ilagan cited Police Supt. Reynaldo “Macky” Maclang who is currently the chief of police of Sta. Rosa, Laguna.
According to Ilagan, Maclang has a string of cases ranging from grave abuse of authority, alleged human rights violations, and a pervasive pattern of election-related harassment against the opposition.
During Wednesday’s PNP Academy graduation ceremonies, Ilagan said President Benigno Aquino III’s call for the PNP to ensure clean and honest elections rang “hollow, hypocritical and meaningless.”
In 2013, UNA criticized Roxas for his apparent inaction of the complaints filed against Maclang who was then commander of the Police Public Safety Company based in Dipolog City.
He said despite having cases in local courts, Commission on Human Rights and Comelec, Roxas did not bother to act on Maclang’s suspension.
Maclang , Ilagan said, was in fact promoted by Roxas despite complaints and serious allegations of human rights violations against the police official.
“Maclang is known to employ “buy-bust operations” as a tactic to arrest personal and political enemies,” he said.
In 2010, Ilagan said, Maclang earned the attention of media and human rights watch groups in the light of harassments and a number of unresolved killings of journalists, media workers and political opponents blamed on the Zamboanga del Norte police.
“We can now see that the Liberal Party has its people assigned in areas where they can freely maneuver. Ngayon hawak na nila ang network ng mga police commander sa local level na pwede nilang paandarin anytime,” he warned.
UNA is urging the Comelec to remove PNP personnel identified with poll-related cases so that they will not be able to influence the conduct of elections, noting that the Commission should show and assure the public that PNP commanders under its supervision are non-partisan.
“With practically less than 60 days to go before the elections, Comelec needs to preempt a scenario where election operators may exploit the situation and plot their moves. Sa ngayon only the Comelec can foil any attempt by urging the PNP and AFP to reshuffle their officers and assign them in areas that are far from these election manipulators,” Ilagan added.
