PRO-6 raps mayor, board member before DILG over alleged violations

By Jennifer P. Rendon

It looks like the leadership of Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) will not take sitting down alleged violations committed by elected local officials.

On Tuesday, PRO-6 said it has reported two officials – one from Iloilo and another from Capiz – to Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año for various infractions against cops deployed in the frontlines to battle the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)

The letter, which was signed by Police Brigadier General Rene Pamuspusan, Western Visayas police chief, named the alleged erring officials as Mayor Ronnie Dadivas of Roxas City, Capiz and Board Member Marcelo Valentine Serag of the 1st district of Iloilo.

Daily Guardian is still trying to get the comments of Dadivas and Serag.

In its statement, PRO-6 said “Dadivas reportedly did not allow entry of basic commodities in his city which is contrary to the guidelines set by the Inter-Agency Task Force. He was informed earlier of the problem and was reminded that his actions must be in accordance with the guidelines set by the IATF.”

It added that Dadivas refused to heed to the IATF guidelines despite receiving several warnings and reminders from no less than DILG regional director Ariel Iglesia and Police Colonel Julio Gustilo, Capiz police chief.

In a separate concern, PRO-6 accused Serag of demeaning a police officer.

A report submitted by the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) indicated that Serag called up Police Lieutenant Randy Lambungan, officer-in-charge of San Joaquin Police Station, at around 6:23 PM of March 31, 2020.

In order to hear him better, Lambungan reportedly switched the loud speaker of his phone.

Serag shouted at him “Wala kamo direktiba nga mag-pull-out ka barricade sa checkpoint! Tama kaw ka literal nga klasi ka pulis! Gago kaw ka klase nga pulis! Wala kaw ga-obserbar kang executive order ni Mayor! Naga-sarig lang kaw pirmi kay PD (referring to the Provincial Director of Iloilo PPO)! Halin ka di sa San Joaquin!”

(You have no directives to pull out the barricade at the checkpoint! You are not asking permission! You are taking things literally! You are a stupid kind of police! You are not observing the executive order of the Mayor! You are always depending on your PD! Get out of San Joaquin!)

Lambungan allegedly tried to explain his side but Serag ended the call.

This incident allegedly unfolded in the presence of San Joaquin Police Station personnel.

After the nasty phone call, personnel manning Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (MDRRMC) and the Municipal Health Office (MHO)’s Quarantine Control Point were pulled out “without any justification bringing along with them the thermal scanners and other equipment.”

Police Colonel Kenneth Paul Lucas, Iloilo police chief, has decided to continue manning the QCP despite the absence of the MDRRMC and the MHO.

Pamuspusan pointed out that the actuations of Serag against Lambungan – the hurling of offensive and defamatory words during their conversation over the phone – caused insult and dishonour on the part of Lambungan thus a clear display of misconduct and conduct unbecoming on the part of an elected official which he may be held administratively and criminally liable.

“Further, the unjustified pulling out of the MDRRMC and MHO personnel, is a blatant violation of the existing policy and protocol in the conduct of the established Quarantine Control the national and local issuances,” the statement said.

Pamuspusan said that these concerns were already submitted to the PNP National headquarters in Camp Crame and is expected to be discussed in the National Level of the IATF.

The PRO-6 hierarchy said it is actively cooperating with the other agencies in the implementation of the policy and protocols on the Enhanced Community Quarantine in Western Visayas.

Further, PRO6 sees to it that the implementation of policy is uniformed with what is being implemented at the national level specifically on the conduct of the Quarantine Control Points.

“This is to maintain an unimpeded or unhampered delivery of necessities and other basic services to the communities,” Pamuspusan said.

Latest reports indicated that PRO-6 has 2,240 frontliners and Quick Reaction Teams (QRTs) deployed in over 60 PNP-manned QCPs and over 90 Quarantine Control Points manned by the Joint Task Force.