Panlilio insists on anti-jueteng police chief
By Tonette Orejas
Central Luzon Desk
First Posted 21:36:00 05/09/2008
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Philippines--Determined to stop the illegal numbers game “jueteng” in Pampanga, Gov. Eddie Panlilio told Director Gen. Avelino Razon Jr., Philippine National Police chief, that he would not have anyone else but Senior Supt. Cesar Hawthorne Binag as the next provincial police director.
Panlilio reiterated for the fourth time his preference for Binag in a letter to Razon on May 7.
Copies of the letter were sent to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno and Chief Supt. Errol Pan, Central Luzon police director.
Panlilio reiterated his choice although Razon had sent an emissary on Tuesday to dissuade him from insisting on the appointment of Binag.
In November last year, Razon turned down the governor's request even as Binag was endorsed by Ricardo Cardinal Vidal of Cebu and 30 Catholic bishops.
"You are well aware that our province has been for years been known as a subservient host to jueteng. In view of that, we need morally upright men and women in the police force, the government and civil society to fight against and repulse the evils brought about by jueteng," Panlilio said in the letter.
"It is in this regard that I am choosing someone who is morally and ethically right, whose career is unblemished by the slightest accusation of impropriety, and who has strong spiritual foothold on what is right," he said.
Panlilio also told Razon that he knew that the latter asked Puno to remove the name of Binag in the first list of nominees prepared by the National Police Commission.
The governor turned down the May 2 list submitted by Razon, who nominated Senior Superintendents Enrico Salapong, Cristino Campanilla and Keith Singian, the acting Pampanga police director.
Pan confirmed he was supporting Singian.
The Pampanga Anti-Gambling Council did not think highly of Singian. The resentment comes from his assessment that jueteng does "not exist" in Pampanga.
Singian said what Pampanga has are "bookies" for the illegal variety of the government-sanctioned small town lottery (STL).
Panlilio said with STL as a "cover," jueteng has become more rampant.
Panlilio asked Razon to allow Binag to serve concurrent posts as Pampanga police director and deputy chief of the PNP's integrated transformation program.
"If it is not possible for him to keep his post [in the transformation program] should he be appointed as police director, I am extending my assurance that he shall be available at all times to implement the plans and programs devised for the moral transformation of the PNP," Panlilio said.
Reached by phone on Friday, Binag said: "Give me the orders and I'll march off."
Binag in 2006 served as commandant of the Philippine National Police Academy as he worked as deputy chief of the transformation program.
In an interview, Panlilio said he told Razon's emissary that Binag's work in Pampanga could actually be a "showcase" of the PNP's transformation program.
|
