Where was Espina during Sunday’s sympathy walk for SAF 44?

Photo by Julliane Love de Jesus/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines – Philippine National Police officer in charge Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina had earlier expressed intention to join the controversial sympathy walk, the chairman of the police academy alumni group said Sunday.

In a press briefing, PNP Academy Alumni Association Inc. chairman Tomas Rentoy III said Espina “even intimated that he will be joining” the march when he sought permission from the latter.

This was before Espina issued a “last-minute order” revoking their permit to assemble at the grandstand in Camp Crame because the march was “not a command activity.”

When asked why Espina was not able to grace the event, Rentoy said the PNP OIC might have other commitments to attend.

The event dubbed “Walk with Widows, Run for our Heroes” had a lower turnout than expected due to the sudden cancellation of permits to assemble and the dissuasion of some police officials to its subordinates from joining the event.

Last Friday, PNPAAAI Camp Crame chapter president Senior Superintendent Jerome Baxinela sent out a text message urging PNPA officers in the field to “desist from joining the march.”

“Some are saying that the message of Baxinela was to mean that leftist groups might exploit the event that’s why he was dissuading our members. Maybe they were receiving intelligence reports. Baka mahaluan ng kaliwa, maging antigovernment protest,” Rentoy said.

After Baxinela’s text message circulated and reached the media, Rentoy said “one by one, their permits were recalled.”

The Quezon City local government withdrew their permit to gather at Quezon Memorial Circle. The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority approved their permit but later canceled it.

Unfazed by the obstacles, PNPA alumni nationwide continued the sympathy walk in Manila and in the provinces of Iloilo, Pampanga, Baguio, Western Visayas and Zamboanga.

No tension between the marchers and the police were reported.

“We have shown to the authorities that our march has remained peaceful at walang nakapag-exploit despite apprehensions na mahahaluan ng politics,” Rentoy said.

But the retired general said the PNPAAAI is mulling over giving Baxinela a disciplinary action, including expulsion from the association, for betraying his fellow alumni.

“His upperclassmen are saddened by the turn of events as the situation is causing divisiveness from our ranks,” he said.

According to Rentoy, Baxinela even pledged to the association that he will “organize 50 marshals for the march.”

“When he chickened out, nawala ‘yung marshals. Kaya tignan niyo, wala gaanong marshals na nagpo-police sa ranks natin,” he explained.

Asked what are the consequences of Baxinela’s move, Rentoy said: “Baka pwede siyang ma-ostracize. Sa amin kasing mga cadete, mas malupit ‘yung ma-ostracize ka ng mga kaklase mo. You are nonexistent. Hindi ka papansinin. Mas masakit ‘yon.”