Bishop offers to help mend rift between Pangasinan gov and top cop

Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas (cbcpforlife.com photo)

DAGUPAN CITY, Philippines—Archbishop Socrates Villegas said here on Thursday he was ready to help patch up differences between Governor Amado Espino Jr. and Senior Superintendent Marlou Chan, Pangasinan police director, saying their rift was destroying the image of the province.

Espino had objected to Chan’s appointment as Pangasinan police director.

“We cannot allow this to continue because it’s not good to see that our officials are not in good terms,” Villegas said in a local television interview. “As the Pope said, ‘If we are too engrossed with ourselves, we will lose relevance.’ So, it may come to a point that we, the people below, will also quarrel because our leaders are quarrelling.”

He did not say when he planned to arbitrate the feud because Espino was expected back from the United States on June 25.

Reached for comment, Chan said he was open to a dialogue with Espino and the provincial board. “I am thankful and it’s a welcome development,” Chan said.

The rift between Espino and Chan worsened on May 24 when the governor petitioned a court for a temporary restraining order (TRO) against Chan’s appointment.

Espino said Chan’s appointment violated the Department of the Interior and Local Government Act of 1990 (Republic Act 6975), which grants governors the right to choose among three eligible officers recommended to a provincial position by the regional police director.

The case is pending at the regional trial court in Lingayen.

Chan was Ilocos Norte police director before he was designated acting Pangasinan police director last December. He became full-time police director on May 10.

Chan said he was following a “lawful and legitimate order” when he assumed his post last month. “I did not make the order. I am here in furtherance of a lawful and legitimate order,” he said.

On June 3, the provincial board passed a resolution calling for Chan to step down, citing his “irreconcilable differences” with Espino.

On June 10, the board declared Chan “persona non grata,” saying he had demonstrated, among other things, partiality and bias in dealing with election-related issues during the campaign period for the May 13 elections.

In an earlier interview, Chan said the Pangasinan police had maintained “utmost impartiality” and enforced the law during the elections “regardless of political party affiliation.”

He also said it would be “most prudent for all of us to wait for the resolution of the TRO petition.”

“Until such time that my appointment is revoked or there is another kind of order, then I will continue performing my job as provincial director,” he said.

He said his work has not been affected by the issue.

“I’m used to work under pressure and this was taught to us in the Philippine Military Academy. We were trained to perform our job in the most adverse environment and we are also mission-oriented,” said Chan, a member of PMA Class of 1985.