POLICE Chief Ricardo Marquez on Thursday vowed to relieve four active police officers if the evidence showed they met with people associated with Liberal Party presidential bet Manuel Roxas II in a hotel in Cubao, Quezon City, on Saturday.
For now, however, Marquez cleared of wrongdoing the four police generals who were allegedly spotted with the close associates of Roxas at the Novotel Manila Araneta Center in Cubao, Quezon City.
Still, Marquez said that if someone came forward and said otherwise, he would immediately order the relief of the four officials for partisanship.
He made his statement even as an Army general who was earlier reported among those who had met with Roxas and other upper-classmen from the Philippine Military Academy denied the report.
“I find it disturbing that my presence at Novotel the other day was interpreted in a malicious manner,” Maj. Gen. Oscar Lactao, inspector general of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, said in a text message on Thursday.
The meeting was reportedly held at a function room of the Novotel.
Roxas is an honorary member of the PMA Class of 1984, of which Lactao is a member.
Marquez identified the four officials as director for Intelligence Generoso Cerbo Jr., Southern Tagalog regional director for administration Chief Supt. Ronald Santos, Cagayan Valley police regional head Chief Supt. Rainier Idio, and Western Visayas police regional commander Chief Supt. Bernard Diaz.
The four officials were said seen inside the Novotel having breakfast with retired Deputy Director General Marcelo Garbo Jr.
Marquez said the four officials were given up to Friday to air their side before the Directorate of Personnel and Records Management.
Based on the initial explanation of the four, Marquez said they just had a breakfast meeting with Garbo, the former number-two man in the PNP hierarchy who retired last March 2.
“They said it was more of a personal meeting, nothing related to the elections,” Marquez said.
“They said if they were indeed trying to do some partisan activity, why would they do it in a public place?”
Meanwhile, Marquez and AFP Chief of Staff General Hernando Iriberri on Thursday signed the AFP-PNP Joint Operational Guidelines for this year’s elections.
“Under the guidance and direction of the Comelec, rest assured that we will continue to pursue and cultivate the decrease of election-related incidents,” Irriberi said.
