INDEPENDENT presidential candidate Senator Grace Poe said President Benigno Aquino should look into reports that some active police generals met with the camp of Liberal Party standard bearer Mar Roxas to squelch speculations of electioneering among government employees.
But Roxas II denied that he met with the high-ranking Philippine National Police who were caught in a meeting with a known Roxas supporter at the Araneta Center in Cubao, Quezon City over the weekend.
Meanwhile, the Commission on Elections on Tuesday scrapped the controversial P26.6-million contract for the purchase of 300,000 bib vests for public teachers who will serve as election inspectors in next month's election.
"This is my appeal to the PNP and military not just because I am a candidate here but it is provided in our law. They should be neutral especially during election day and the campaign period," Poe said.
"I am also making this call not only to the President but to the government. While they are in position, it does not mean they would be controlling everything. They have a sworn duty to serve not only themselves but the entire public," said Poe.
She noted that the police and military are responsible to ensure the safety of everybody and all political parties.
During the reported meeting of the four police generals with LP staffers in a hotel near the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, Poe expressed hope they met to discuss the safety and protection of everybody.
The four generals were seen in a meeting with retired police general Marcelo Garbo Jr., a supporter of Roxas, and Thea Reyes, a staff of Roxas.
The four generals were identified as Director Generoso Cervo Jr., chief of the PNP directorate for intelligence; Chief Supt. Renier Idio, Cagayan Valley police chief; Bernardo Diaz of the Western Visayas police and Ronald Santos, deputy regional director for administration of the Southern Tagalog police.
PNP spokesperson Wilbert Mayor said the four were asked to explain their presence in the hotel where Roxas supporters gathered.
But Mar himself was not in the meeting.
"No, that's not true. I haven't met [with] any such people," Roxas said during an interview at Bayugan, Agusan del Sur on Monday evening.
"I asked my staff member [Thea Reyes] and she said they only met at the lobby. Since they knew each other from my time at the DILG, they started chatting and that was it,h Roxas said.
Meanwhile, the Comelec scrapped the P26,553,975 contract on the purchasing of 300,000 bib vests for public teachers who will serve as Board of Election Inspectors.
Comelec chairman Andres Bautista said the commission decided after Education Secretary Armin Luistro offered to require all public teachers to wear the DepEd vests and they will be provided with IDs by the poll body.
"So it will be the DepEd uniform that will be used by the BEIs on the Election Day plus the Comelec will give them IDs," Bautista said.
The bib vest, which will cost P75 per piece, were supposed to be made of white material with blue lining, which will bear the PiliPinas logo with "BEIh printed in big letters in front, and the poll body's name and "Board of Election Inspector" at the back.
When asked the reason why the Comelec en banc decided to forego the bib, Bautista said due to the negative criticisms they received from the public.
