Tarp-carrying Cagayan cops draw flak for ‘credit grab’

MANILA, Philippines — Members of a police station in Cagayan province were accused of politicizing and trying to grab credit for an outreach mission conducted by a civic organization for typhoon-hit families, after they showed up unannounced at the venue and put up a poster branding the activity as part of the “Duterte Legacy” police community relations program.

The complaint came from volunteers of the youth group Oplan Bangon Cagayan, who conducted a relief operation on Oct. 31 at Barangay Mission, Santa Teresita, one of the areas affected by Severe Tropical Storm “Maring” last month.

“While we were having our relief goods distribution, we were surprised that a (patrol car) came and police officers put up a tarpaulin with ‘Duterte Legacy’ on it,” said Zach Xavier Singson, the group’s project head.

Local officials ‘shocked’

Singson said one of the officers then approached the volunteers and asked if they could take a photo of the policemen as they handed out their group’s donations with the tarpaulin in the background.

Singson said they turned down the request since they were a private organization.

But instead of letting them be, he said, one of the officers grabbed a plastic bag of relief goods and handed it to the recipients for a photo op, after which the officers took down the tarp and “left without assisting us.”

Singson said the barangay chief and the coordinator of Santa Teresita’s municipal social welfare and development (MSWD) office were present and were “shocked” by what they saw.

“Ashamed” of what the police officers did, the local officials apologized to the volunteers. The MSWD coordinator also told them that she would report the incident to her superior.

PNP chief Gen. Guillermo Eleazar has yet to reply when the Inquirer sought his comment on the matter on Wednesday.

Commander explains

“What’s the purpose of putting up that tarpaulin? Our only concern is our donors and (their) trust in us,” Singson said in an online post.

Photos and videos of the incident were posted on social media, drawing angry reactions.

But in a comment under Singson’s post, Police Capt. Ranolfo Gabatin, chief of Santa Teresita municipal police, denied that his subordinates engaged in credit-grabbing, insisting they were “nonpartisan.”

He said the officers went to the relief operation to help and ensure compliance with health protocols.

According to Gabatin, they took a photo while at the site as “reference that a group of good people came to our aid (as) Teresianos.”

As to why they had to put up a “Duterte Legacy” tarp, Gabatin said: “[It] is just part of our activity when we lend help in coordination with other people or group.”

Addressing Singson, the police colonel wrote: “We helped you, sir, in good faith. But if it seems to you that we were wrong on that, we apologize.”