Aquino roasts Capa for being picky, two others for bickering

Senior Supt. Conrad Capa. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – Do public officials have the right to choose their assignments? President Benigno Aquino III does not think so.

Aquino on Tuesday lambasted an unnamed official, believed to be former Task Force Tugis head Senior Superintendent Conrad Capa, for complaining about his new assignment.

“Sabihin na natin magaling s’ya. Maasahan natin s’ya kung natutuwa s’ya. ‘Yun ba ang propesyunal?” Aquino said in his speech during the “Araw ng Parangal sa Kapulisan” at Camp Crame in Quezon City.

(Let us say he is good. We can rely on him when he is pleased. Is that professional?)

“Pinahamak n’ya ang institusyon…na pinaglingkuran nya,” he added, referring to Capa’s press conferences.

(He compromised the institution he is serving.)

Since capturing erstwhile fugitive businessman Delfin Lee, Capa has been re-assigned as the Deputy Regional Director for Operations of the Central Visayas Regional Police Office.

The President pointed out that his new assignment was not even a bad position.

Meanwhile, Aquino said he has been losing sleep over two quarrelling senior officials.

“Ano ba kayo, mga bata?” he wanted to tell them.

(Why are you acting like children?)

He was most likely alluding to Philippine Public Safety College (PPSC) president Ruben Platon and Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) head Chief Superintendent Noel Constantino.

Platon complained about Constantino’s decision to remove him as a signatory in the PNPA diploma.

An attached agency of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), the PPSC supervises the country’s police academies.

All throughout his speech, Aquino complained of shortages in PNPA’s supplies and other problems that should have already been addressed.

He contrasted the aforementioned fighting officials with those awarded at Camp Crame that day.

He lauded the lone female awardee Police Inspector Marjorie Manuta who walked six kilometers from her home in Tacloban City to report to work after the onslaught of Super Typhoon “Yolanda.”

Manuta was among the few police officers in Tacloban who were able to report at the city police office despite the plight of her own family.

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