MANILA, Philippines–It hurts.
A senior police official on Wednesday decried the “premature” disclosure of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) linking him and other police officers in the controversial sale of P52-million worth of assault rifles to the communist rebels.
“We have been vilified and demonized in the eyes of the public without the benefit of a final result of the investigation,” Chief Supt. Raul Petrasanta, Central Luzon police director, lamented in a statement.
“How can a police official, who has dedicated his whole life to serve his country, arm or even dare to participate in selling firearms to the enemies of the state?” he asked.
Petrasanta thanked the members of the House committee on public order and safety, which conducted an inquiry into the alleged sale of 1,004 AK-47 assault rifles to the New People’s Army (NPA), for saying that the conclusion of CIDG chief Director Benjamin Magalong tagging him and 18 other policemen in the anomaly was premature.
During a hearing last week, Magalong told the House committee that Petrasanta and other ranking police officials could be held liable for their complicity in the NPA’s alleged purchase of the high-powered firearms.
Welcome respite
“It was a welcome respite from the barrage of criticisms that came out in the media. Any person is innocent until proven guilty,” Petrasanta said.
“It is just unfortunate that our names were all over the papers when the clarification came out… That’s why we also came out to defend ourselves and give our side of the story,” he said.
Petrasanta, touted to be the next chief of the 148,000-strong Philippine National Police (PNP), said the families of the policemen named by Magalong had been hurt by the allegations against them.
“They are hurt, of course… (W)e have to bear with that. (But) they are supportive and convinced that we will get through this,” he said.
He played down the possibility of being the likely successor of PNP Director General Alan Purisima, saying he would rather focus on his duties as director of the Central Luzon police.
Bogus licenses
Meanwhile, PNP spokesman Chief Supt. Reuben Theodore Sindac on Wednesday warned gun owners from dealing with fixers in obtaining bogus licenses for their firearms.
“Transacting with fixers would only put them in deeper trouble if they are caught in possession of fake gun licenses,” Sindac told reporters.
The new gun law imposes stiffer penalties and jail terms for illegal possession of firearms and related offenses, he added.
Stricter policy
He surmised that the reported proliferation of spurious firearms licenses was a result of the stricter policy on gun registration which the PNP adopted after the enactment of Republic Act No. 10591, or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunitions Regulations Act of 2013.
He said some unscrupulous individuals had been offering to facilitate the registration of firearms for P10,000.
Sindac said the regular fee for a gun license is only P2,000.