President Duterte at the 55th birthday celebration of PNP Chief Ronal de la Rosa.
On the first day of his presidency, during the turnover of command ceremonies at the Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City, President Duterte boasted that he knows the scalawags in the police service.
He issued a strong warning: “I know kung sino ang mga general who are tainted with corruption. You better resign. You have no more future in the police.. I know how you operate.. I will not run this country with a corrupt police.”
In his seven months in office under his relentless drive against illegal drugs, there have been several reports of police abuses. Extra-judicial killings have become a daily occurrence. Impunity by members of the police has reached levels never imagined.
The latest was the killing of a South Korean official of Hanjin Shipping, a South Korean company last October 17 after he was abducted from his residence in Angeles City allegedly by members of the PNP’s Anti-Illegal Drugs Group led by SPO3 Ricky Sta. Isabel.
If Police Supt. Marvin Marcos has long been identified as a protector of drug lords, why is somebody high up in Malacañang protecting him?
What does this make of President Duterte’s bloody campaign to eliminate illegal drugs in the country which has claimed the lives of some 3,000 and still counting?
Marcos has been under protective custody at the Philippine National Police in Camp Crame in Metro Manila together with his team involved in the killing of Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa, Sr in the wee hours of Nov 5 while imprisoned in Baybay Provincial Jail in Leyte.
Policemen released by NPA to Duterte. Photo from Bulatlat.Centerlaw, a non-government organization dedicated to the promotion of the Rule of Law in the Philippines and Asia, reminded President-Elect Rodrigo Duterte that as president of the Philippines, which he will be in 23 days, he is legally bound to ensure that every one within Philippine sovereignty is accorded due process of law.
Centerlaw expressed grave concern over the statement of Duterte that he is leaving the fate of General Generoso, Davao Oriental police Chief Inspector Arnold Ognachen to his captors, the New People’s Army.
Duterte, which has included the Communist Party of the Philippines in his government, had worked for the release of policemen captured by the CPP’s armed group before the May elections. He had also called for the release of Ognachen, who was captured when the NPA recently raided the Davao Oriental police station.
But in his press conference last Thursday, Duterte said an NPA commander told him that they seized drug from Ognachen adding the rebel leaders would not lie to him.
Thanks to KilaBalita for the above video and photo below.
This Governor Emmylou Talino-Mendoza of Cotabato is really something.
I saw her on TV being interviewed on the bloody dispersal of the farmers rally in Kidapawan where at least two people died and many were injured and she expressed no sympathy. She was arrogant.
(Update: At the Senate hearing Thursday some of Mendoza’s arrogance was gone but she gave an impression of an unfeeling government official. She said she was the one who decided” “Police action na.”)
Gabriela Women’s Party 2nd Nominee Arlene Brosas is right when she said, “”Gov. Mendoza has shown no remorse and has even justified the massacre of the poor farmers. Her role in the bloody incident and her attitude afterwards has shown the she is clearly unfit for public service. She must leave and she should take her butcher North Cotabato Police Alexander Tagum with her.”
Aquino belies his own alternative truth in a Malacanang presentation.Photo by Lauro Montellano, Jr. / Malacanang Photo Bureau.
A week after he floated an “alternative version” to the killing of Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli “Marwan”bin Hir last January which also cost the lives of 63 people, 44 of them members of the elite Special Action Force of the Philippine National Police, President Aquino yesterday belied it saying it was “baseless.”
In a televised presentation, Aquino said: “It is clear from the presentation today: the SAF were there; we can no longer doubt that it was the SAF who took Marwan’s finger. This also means: All the other accounts about the alternative narrative are baseless, and consequently have no relevance.”
But it was he who floated what he now says are “baseless” alternative narrative.
He did it during a meeting with Inquirer editors and reporters last week.
Pres. Aquino at the PNP 114th anniversary. Photo by Joseph Vidal, Malacanang Photo Bureau.With President Aquino, what you see is what you get.
He is not good at masking his lack of concern and sympathy for the everyday problems of Filipinos. Like when Tacloban businessman Kenneth Yu Uy complained to him during in his post-Yolanda visit to Tacloban in November 2013 about the peace and order breakdown in the typhoon-devastated province and he snapped at him “Eh buhay ka pa naman, di ba?” (Uy died last week of a heart attack.)
He is honest. He is no hypocrite.
That’s why Malacañang and Philippine National Police officials should stop making excuses about the deletion of the names two of the 44 members of the Special Action Force who died in the Mamasapano tragedy last January to capture two terrorists in the Wanted List of the United States.
Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-MoralesWhen the Mamasapano tragedy, which claimed the lives of 67 people including 44 members of the Special Action Force of the Philippine National Police, happened and the active role of suspended PNP chief Allan Purisima was exposed, a source told us that Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales was angry.
Who would not be?
The tragedy happened Jan. 25, 2015. The Ombudsman had suspended Purisima in Dec. 2014 and he was supposed to be not involved in the operations of the PNP.
But details of events that led to the tragedy showed that despite the suspension, President Aquino involved Purisima in official operations.
President Aquino at the PNPA 2015 commencement exercises.He couldn’t even mention the incident that he was asking the public for understanding.
In his speech at the commencement exercise of the Philippine National Police Academy’s Lakandula Class of 2015, the day after the nation marked the second month of the Mamasapano tragedy, President Aquino said, “Ikinalulungkot kong may mga pamilyang nawalan ng asawa, ama, kapatid, anak, dahil sa nangyari sa Mamasapano. Ikinalulungkot kong sa pagnanais kong bigyan ng espasyong magluksa ang mga makakakita, sa unang pagkakataon, ng nasawi nilang kaanak, ay may mga nag-isip na ako’y manhid at walang pakikiramay. Ang intensiyon ko noon ay makatulong sa paghilom. Ang gusto ko po sana, kapag may nagtanong ng “Ano ang nangyari? Bakit sila namatay? Ano na po ang mangyayari sa amin?” ay may dala na akong malinaw na sagot. Kung ang naging tugon ko sa mga katanungan ay “Hindi ko po alam,” paano ako makakatulong sa kanilang paghilom? Ikinalulungkot ko ring nadadamay ang ating usaping pangkapayapaan dahil sa sentimyentong naikakabit sa naging resulta ng Oplan Exodus. Sa bawat Pilipinong nabigo at nasaktan dahil sa mga pangyayaring kaugnay ng operasyong ito: Buong pagpapakumbaba kong hinihiling ang inyong pang-unawa. (It deeply saddens me that there are families who are now without a husband, a father, a brother, a son, because of what happened in Mamasapano. I am saddened by the fact that, despite my effort to give the families space to grieve, as they were to meet their fallen loved ones for the first time, some people found fault in this by calling me cruel or without regard for such loss. My intention was to help them heal. I wanted to have clear answers should I be asked, “What happened? Why did they die? What will happen to us now?” If my response was “I do not know,” how could I help hasten the healing? I am also saddened that our peace process has been affected by the sentiments connected to the result of Oplan Exodus. To every Filipino who has felt failure or has been hurt because of the events related to this operation: It is with the abiding humility that I ask for your deepest understanding.)”
Trillanes being interviewed by Pinky Webb at Mornings at ANCFollowing is the transcript of the interview of Senator Antonio Trillanes by Pinky Webb at Mornings at ANC last Friday.
PINKY WEBB: Senator Antonio Trillanes refuses to sign the Senate Committee Report on the Mamasapano. He joins us here in the studio to tell us why. And we will also talk to him about his plans for 2016. Senator, good morning!
SENATOR ANTONIO TRILLANES IV (SAFT): Good morning Pinky.
WEBB: Alright. The Mamasapano Report gathered 20 signatures from your fellow Senators with reservations, half of them with reservations. There are four who didn’t sign, yourself, Senate President Franklin Drilon, Senator Enrile and Senator Lito Lapid. You were quoted saying that the Senate report was lacking.
Police Director Benjamin Magalong, BOI-PNP head.Interior Secretary Mar Roxas forgot to tell President Aquino of the request Police Director Benjamin Magalong to interview him before the Board of Inquiry on the Mamasapaano tragedy released their report last March 13, ABS-CBN reported.Mar Roxas. Photo from KickerDaily.
Magalong said he met with Aquino in Malacañang on Tuesday together with Roxas and Philippine National Police Officer-in-Charge Leonardo Espina.
He said Roxas also apologized for failing to inform the President about the BOI’s request to interview him regarding the Mamasapano mission.
“Binanggit din niya syempre yung issue na bakit hindi ko siya na-interview. At in-explain ko rin sa kanya na, inamin din naman ni Secretary [Roxas] na talagang sa dami ng trabaho nakalimutan na mabanggit kay Presidente at dapat na-remind ko sila,” he said.
It will be recalled that Presidential Spokesperson scored the BOI for not getting the side of the President before issuing the report.
It was reported here Monday that Magalong asked Roxas last March 9 to relay their request to Aquino for an interview.
