PNP’s useless bullet vests
Former Maguindanao election supervisor Lintang Bedol, who allegedly manipulated the election results in that province in 2004 and 2007, was wearing a bullet-proof vest when he met with Comelec Chair Sixto Brillantes Jr.
Bedol was apparently scared of being shot by an assassin hired by people he had implicated in the election rigging.
If an assassin shot Bedol, his bullet-proof vest would not have protected him if it came from the Philippine National Police (PNP).
The PNP bought substandard bullet vests during the time of police Director General Jess Verzosa.
Those bullet vests are useless since they can be penetrated by any bullet.
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Chief Superintendent Leocadio Santiago, former chief of the elite PNP Special Action Force, had complained about the bullet vests which were issued to his men.
But Santiago’s complaint was ignored by Verzosa.
So Santiago, who was concerned about the safety and welfare of his men at the SAF, went to then Commissioner Mar General of the National Police Commission (Napolcom).
General, on his own, conducted an investigation and found out that the bullet vests were made of—listen to this—foam instead of kevlar!
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General told this columnist that when then Interior Secretary Ronnie Puno, concurrent Napolcom chair, learned about his discreet investigation, the latter summoned him to his office.
“I heard from Escueta that you are investigating the purchase by the PNP of bullet vests,” General quoted Puno as telling him.
Ed Escueta was—and still is—Napolcom vice chair.
General reasoned that any Napolcom commissioner could make an investigation into reports of irregularities that reached him.
Puno supposedly told him to stop his investigation because it could reach the media and the “euro generals” scandal would again surface.
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General said then President Gloria, upon Puno’s recommendation, sacked him from the Napolcom.
The proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back, according to the dismissed Napolcom official, was when he questioned the swap deal between the Napolcom and Megaworld on the multibillion-peso property at Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City.
The Napolcom property at the “Fort” was exchanged for much cheaper Megaworld property in San Juan City and Quezon City.
General said the government was at the losing end of the deal. “They kicked me out because I was a gadfly,” said General.
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Why did it have to take an exposé by Sen. Ping Lacson for Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo, ex-oficio Napolcom chair, to conduct an investigation on the irregularities at the Napolcom and PNP?
General, who is Robredo’s townmate, told the DILG and Napolcom chief about the irregularities long before Lacson made the exposé.
Why is Robredo, who is an honest official, slow to act?
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Can you depend on our cops to help when you’re in trouble?
Maria Evio, 65, of Puerto Princesa, fell from a bus that didn’t come to a full stop while she was about to alight at Plaza Lawton in Manila recently.
Evio, her arm broken, saw two uniformed cops and asked them to take her to the hospital.
The policemen, whose nameplates identified them as Marin and Ibañez, ignored her plea for help.
