Albayalde wants PNP offices occupying sidewalks to ‘self demolish’

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde said Tuesday he will direct PNP regional units to demolish all police offices that were built along sidewalks and have become obstruction to people.

Albayalde said this is part of the order of President Rodrigo Duterte to reclaim public roads for the benefit of the people.

The PNP chief answered in the affirmative when asked if he will order regional directors of the PNP to demolish offices considered as obstructions along the streets, citing Interior Secretary Eduardo Año’s order to local government units (LGUs).

“Yes, I think so. I think no less than our SILG [Secretary of the Interior and Local Government] I think ay nagbigay ng kautusan sa mga local chief executives natin [gave a directive to our local chief executives],” he told reporters in a chance interview on the second day of the 60-day countdown for local government units to clear public roads.

READ: 60-day countdown for LGUs to clear public roads starts Monday – Año

On Tuesday, Albayalde and National Capital Region Police Office director Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar led the destruction of San Juan City Police Community Precinct 6 that was built along a sidewalk in West Crame.

“This is in support to the call of the President to ease traffic hindi lang sa [not just in] Metro Manila kundi sa buong Pilipinas since sabi niya sa Sona [but also in the Philippines because he said this in his Sona] we are losing billions of pesos a month,” the PNP chief said.

According to Albayalde, since police community precincts are donated by LGUs, it is also up to the local government where to relocate precincts considered as obstructions along streets.

He said that these police offices built on top of sidewalks need to be demolished or else the public may replicate the practice and build structures that will be road obstructions as well.  /jpv