UNA standard-bearer Vice President Jejomar Binay (left) and UNA spokesman Mon Ilagan in a huddle. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / NIÑO JESUS ORBETA
The camp of Vice President Jejomar Binay on Sunday claimed that a retired police general was meddling in the deployment of local police officials to favor the Liberal Party (LP) and its standard bearer Mar Roxas in the May 9 elections.
In a statement, United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) spokesperson Mon Ilagan accused retired Deputy Director General Marcelo Garbo Jr. of “handpicking” commanders deployed to different provinces and cities in a bid to control the polls.
Garbo, who retired last March 2, was the PNP Deputy Chief for Administration. Ilagan claimed that Garbo was affiliated with the LP and Roxas.
UNA and Ilagan, a former broadcast journalist, offered no proof of their claims or any basis for their accusations.
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Ilagan claimed that despite Garbo’s retirement, he was still actively involved in the reshuffling of police personnel during the campaign period when appointments and movements should first be cleared by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
“Retired na itong si Gen. Garbo pero tuloy-tuloy pa rin ang pakikialam sa assignments, promotions, at ilang movements ng police officials sa probinsya. Why is the PNP allowing him to meddle in the appointments and assignments of police personnel even if he’s already retired?” Ilagan said.
“Ang tanong po namin sa pamunuan ng PNP, bakit po patuloy pa rin nakikialam si Gen. Garbo sa kung sino ang mga dapat ipwesto sa mga probinsya ngayong panahon ng eleksyon?” Ilagan added.
The spokesperson of UNA claimed that with Garbo’s role in the deployment, the “election operators” of Roxas could “freely move” to give him the advantage.
Ilagan added that the LP had a “network of police commanders” led by Garbo.
“We have every reason to suspect that Gen. Garbo is part of LP’s network inside the PNP. Siya ang taga-timon sa loob para mabigyan ng proteksyon ang mga operators ng Administrasyon na umiikot para tiyakin na manalo ang mga bata ng LP,” Ilagan said.
“We concede that Mar Roxas has an undue advantage in terms of influence over the police. With Garbo’s handpicked men assigned in areas where the LP and Mar need a critical presence, election operators can freely move and at the disposal of their principal,” he added.
The Binay camp said Garbo was appointed as National Capital Region Police Office chief in 2013 as a “political reward for his outstanding stewardship” for implementing the six-month suspension of a Binay ally, former Cebu governor now congresswoman Gwendolyn Garcia in 2012.
UNA president Toby Tiangco said Garbo’s influence was proof that the “PNP has again become more exposed to patronage politics and unfair maneuverings by the Liberal Party.”