Marikina City mayor steps into police-prosecutors row

Marikina City Mayor Del de Guzman on Tuesday called on the local police chief, Senior Supt. Vincent Calanoga, and City Prosecutor Jason Amante to find a way to settle their differences and on their supporters to refrain from further enflaming the conflict.

The mayor issued the appeal after Amante and another prosecutor called for the removal of Calanoga after he went to Amante’s office on Monday last week to protest the dismissal of a complaint filed by a junior police officer against a private motorist over a road accident in December.

“I believe misunderstandings are part of doing our jobs well. I trust in their capacity to talk and come together for the greater good. The two are respected and responsible individuals who can manage to settle their supposed differences,” De Guzman said in a text message to the Inquirer.

He stressed that the two officials “are responsible and very capable partners of city officials in our campaign for a safe, peaceful and orderly Marikina.”

Amante earlier wrote to De Guzman to seek administrative sanctions against Calanoga for alleged conduct unbecoming.

The police official confirmed that he had a heated argument with Amante concerning the dismissed complaint of PO1 Ivan Santos, who remains on crutches and has yet to report back to work after suffering head and foot injuries in the Dec. 2 accident.

Another prosecutor, David Gadit Jr., who threw out Santos’ complaint for lack of merit, also sent a letter to acting Philippine National Police chief Director General Leonardo Espina asking for Calanoga’s relief.

De Guzman said he already ordered an investigation into matter.

Meanwhile, Calanoga on Tuesday said he and Santos were set to file a motion for a review in the Department of Justice in a bid to overturn Gadit’s resolution.

“The decision [to appeal the case] came both from me and the family of Santos,” Calanoga said. “I’d rather choose to lose my job than lose face before my men.”

In an Inquirer interview, Santos’ wife Mariel said her husband “cried” when he received a copy of the resolution dismissing his complaint against motorist Homer Casco II.