The Philippine National Police (PNP) is ready to take full control of police operations in local government units nationwide if local chief executives fail to enforce law and order in their areas.
PNP chief Dir. Gen. Oscar Albayalde declared this on Friday after President Rodrigo Duterte warned of removing the power of local chief executives over the police if they refuse to do their duties.
“Yes of course. Ang nakikita siguro ng Presidente napapansin niya ‘yung suporta [ng mga local chief executives],” Albayalde said in a chance interview at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City. He was asked if the PNP is ready to take over the implementation of peace and order in localities should Mr. Duterte makes good of his warning.
(Maybe the President sees the kind of support given by the local chief executives to the police.)
“It’s not actually taking over. You are actually in control, the operational control of the police. Kasi as a mayor, as a local chief executive, alam mo rin dapat kung anong nangyayari sa iyong lugar,” Albayalde also said.
(Because as a mayor, as a local chief executive, you should also know what is happening to your area.)
On Thursday, Duterte said in a speech that he had ordered Interior Officer-in-Charge Secretary Eduardo Año to audit cities and municipalities that continue to post high crime rates and buy-bust operations.
The President said he would fire the mayors, charge them with serious neglect of duty, and put policemen in charge of their jurisdictions.
“Sabi ko kay General Año, ‘i-audit mo nga ‘yan sila, Sir.’ And sabi ko, ’yung mga mayors na hindi makapag-control ng crime and every now and then may buy-bust dito, buy-bust doon. Kung saan-saan na lang. (And) it numbers like 20 buy-bust operations a day, eh tatanggalin mo ‘yang pulis niya. Ilagay ko ‘yung pulis ko. Ikaw na ‘yung mayor,” Duterte said in Bohol.
(I told General Año, ‘you audit them, sir.’ And I said, the mayors who cannot control crime every now and then, there’s buy-bust here, buy-bust there. Everywhere. And it numbers like 20 buy-bust operations a day. You remove his policemen. I put mine. You are now the mayor.)
“Insofar as law and order, you are the mayor. Huwag mo nang pansinin ‘yang mayor na ‘yan. Tanggalin ‘yan and I will file a case against you. Serious neglect of duty or simple neglect, or gross ignorance of the law or oppression, or simply doing nothing,” he added.
(Do not mind those mayors. Get rid of them and I will file a case against him.)
In the following interview with the press, Duterte said he would order the removal of non-performing local chief executives’ deputized power of the police.
“They are deputies of the [National Police Commission] eh. That is the… they have the guidance and direction. Ngayon, kung hindi ka mag [perform]… tatanggalin ko ‘yan, ‘yung power of… over the police,” he said.
(Now, if they do not perform, I remove them, their power over the police.)
Albayalde clarified that the police would not take over the political responsibility of the local chief executives but would just assert full control of police functions in the locality.
Under the Local Government Code, the local chief executive oversees and manages the implementation of peace and order in his area of responsibility. /kga