Former Zamboanga del Norte Rep. Romeo Jalosjos . INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Zamboanga del Norte legislators on Tuesday urged President Benigno Aquino III to hear their complaints on alleged erring lawmen who abused the checkpoints in the province.
In a press conference, Representatives Cesar Jalosjos (3rd district) and his nephew Seth Frederick Jalosjos (1st district) called on the President to help them and look into their complaints.
“Mr. President, we’ve been following and supporting your programs, ang problema ang tao sa ilalim mo hindi matuwid ang landas (the problem are the people under you, they are treading a crooked path),” said Seth Frederick.
He said that Aquino was not just the LP president, but the president of all.
The first district congressman had earlier complained to fellow lawmakers about Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II’s inaction over the complaints of several Zamboanga del Norte officials against Police Superintendent Reynaldo Maclang, Zamboanga del Norte provincial public safety commander, and his men for alleged abuse of authority.
The two lawmakers accused lawmen in their province of only protecting LP candidates, saying that it is very difficult to ask for security from the police.
The accusations were however seen as “unfair” by LP stalwart Eastern Samar Representative Ben Evardone who pointed out that they had little knowledge of what went on locally.
He said that even LP leaders were being killed in Zamboanga del Norte. They were Asad Hassan who was running for councilor in Sibuco, Emmanuel Galon who was a village chairman in Labason and Michael Laliyah, an LP coordinator. The victims were shot dead in separate incidents last week.
The coalition assumes that the killings were politically motivated, Evardone said.
Evardone said that it was the leadership of the Philippine National Police which should respond and resolve these issues.
“Unfair naman na ibato mo sa DILG (to bring this to) secretary just because ang pulis ay (the police are) allegedly kumikiling sa kabila (because they are favoring the other side),” he said.