CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – Pampanga Gov. Eddie Panlilio has demanded the relief of the province’s top police officers and several policemen following a siege on his office by protesting truckers and quarry workers that, he said, police did not prevent.

Panlilio left the capitol Tuesday to deliver to Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno, Philippine National Police chief, Director General Jesus Verzosa, and the National Police Commission his petition for the relief of Senior Supt. Keith Singian, Pampanga police director, and Supt. Benjamin Medina, San Fernando police director.

He also sought the relief of members of the crowd dispersal unit sent to the capitol on Monday as members of the Federation of Pampanga Truckers Inc. (FTPI) and dismissed quarry workers mounted joint protests.

Pointing fingers

Singian, however, pinned the blame on the capitol’s civil security unit. He said he did not inform Panlilio or provincial administrator Vivian Dabu about the rally.

He said the officials did not request for security.

He said the conflict was not for the police to resolve because the issues in the protests – the implementing rules and regulations of the local anti-overloading law and the benefits of former quarry workers – were matters concerning the capitol.

Dabu said: “Need we request [for security]? Isn’t it imperative for [Singian] or even out of concern to inform or secure the governor or the provincial government? Were his intelligence officers at work ever?”

Medina did not reply to calls or text messages to his mobile phone Tuesday.

Minutes after the siege on the offices of Panlilio and Dabu, at about 10 a.m. on Monday, the Inquirer saw at least 12 policemen, in combat uniforms and carrying shields, arranged in two rows at the left side of the capitol building. They did not run to the second floor offices of Panlilio and Dabu.

Incompetence

In a press conference, Panlilio said what happened on Monday “merely accentuated the marked incompetence of our police force.”

He said that since July, he had asked Singian to arrest some 40 retrenched quarry workers who were picketing at Arnedo Park across from the capitol.

“Tuesday morning, I have asked Colonel Singian to arrest the [protesters] who attempted to harm me,” Panlilio said. He was referring to some 70 truck owners, drivers and former quarry personnel who barged into the capitol, kicked and banged on the door of the offices of Panlilio and Dabu.

The protesters only backed off when the governor’s police escorts moved to defend him.

“Since they were not immediately arrested, two [protesters] hit my nephews. I again asked Colonel Singian to arrest them. [He] and his men dilly-dallied until the period to arrest had lapsed. Until this morning, nothing happened. No arrest was made and none will be made,” Panlilio said, reading from a statement.

FPTI president Benedicto Lacsamana denied that an assault was made and if ever that was done, he said it happened “out of emotions and frustrations” to press for a dialogue with Panlilio.

Chris Ocampo, a leader of the former quarry workers, denied that he or his colleagues behaved irrationally.