‘I’m angry at Garbo’

CEBU City Mayor Michael Rama is still upset with the chief of police of Central Visayas.

The mayor said his lawyers are studying how to hale Chief Supt. Marcelo Garbo to court for “encroaching” on Cebu City territory when he fielded almost 200 policemen to the Capitol at the height of the standoff triggerd by the Dec. 19 , 2012 suspension of Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia.

“This has nothing to do with the governor or the acting governor. It has something to do with the process,” said Rama.

Garbo, meanwhile, said he is ready to face any charges the mayor would file against him.

Garbo said he did not overstep his authority when he deployed policemen to the Capitol . He said this was part of his job as head of the Police Regional Office (PRO) 7.

The police detail was scaled down after the first few days of tension in line with a policy of maximum tolerance but Garcia’s camp loudly complained about security checks at the gate and “martial law” condtions, , especially on weekends.

Garbo said he was following the order of Acting Cebu Gov. Agnes Magpale to maintain peace and order in the Capitol as well as directives from higher headquarters.

Mayor Rama said he will ask the PNP leadership and the Office of the President to replace Garbo as PRO 7 chief for overstaying in his post.

“He sent a battalion of policemen there. That is aggravating, a display of superior strength,” said the mayor, who sympathizes with Governor Garcia.

The mayor also said setting up a yellow police line at entry points of the Governor’s Office was unnecessary because no crime was committed in the area nor was there a state of lawlessness.

“I do not want the Capitol to be converted into a garrison…. Garbo cannot put the police there without the chief executive’s approval,” Rama said “if there are operations that will put the city in trouble, the mayor should be informed.”/with Gabriel Bonjoc and Chito Aragon