Police presence in Metro Manila won’t be affected by Arroyo hospital transfer—Bartolome

Philippine National Police chief Director General Nicanor Bartolome. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Police deployment to the rest of the metropolis will not be affected by the transfer of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to the Veterans Memorial Medical Center which has been set Friday by the Pasay regional trial court Branch 112, Philippine National Police chief Director General Nicanor Bartolome said on Tuesday.

Speaking to reporters at the National Headquarters in Camp Crame in Quezon City after the farewell visit of Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Eduardo Oban Jr., Bartolome said that “the preparations for the transfer is just a portion of the entire structure in providing security [and after escorting Arroyo to VMMC, police personnel] will go back to their regular duties.”

The PNP chief was mum on details of Arroyo’s impending transfer to the government-owned hospital on Friday, saying “we do not give specific figures” but assured that they had “enough personnel” and that their “security arrangement has been elaborate.”

Police assigned to security at the VMMC were also prepared for demonstrations by protest groups, said Bartolome. He reminded the protesters not to occupy roads in their rallies, however, so as not to cause heavy traffic in the area.

He also urged the Arroyo camp, specifically Elena Bautista-Horn, to provide the PNP with complete details of the alleged plot to kill the former president, Operation plan “Put the Little Girl to Sleep”.

The plot remains unvalidated since the Arroyo camp has not told the police of their source, said Bartolome. “[It would be] better if yung [their] source ay ibigay nila [would give] so we can completely validate… [it is] very difficult if the source is not included,” he added.

The PNP chief said that he was not privy to the reason why the Arroyo camp still has not identified their source to the police.