Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Dir. Gen. Oscar Albayalde has pushed for the removal of the police and military under the control of the chief minister in the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).
Albayalde warned against putting the PNP and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) directly under the control of the chief minister, raising the possibility of them becoming private armed groups of politicians.
“’Yun ang inaavoid natin, for them to be controlled, iniiwasan natin (na) maging malaki silang private armed group,” Albayalde said in a press conference late Tuesday afternoon.
(That’s what we are avoiding, for them to be controlled, we must not let them become a huge private armed group.)
Under the proposed BBL at the House of Representatives, the recruitment, training, and operations of police and military would be placed directly under the control of the Bangsamoro’s chief minister.
Albayalde said “it is but logical” for the PNP and AFP to control their units in the area to prevent them from becoming used for political purposes.
“It is but logical. Dapat kontrolado ng AFP ‘yung unit doon, iniiwasan natin there might come a time na ma-politicize sila parang may sarili silang ano doon, we cannot control our forces,” he added.
(The AFP should control their units, we’re avoiding that there would come a time that they have their own operations, we cannot control our forces.)
READ: PNP opposes Bangsamoro chief’s power over police under proposed BBL
President Rodrigo Duterte has earlier said he is against a separate Bangsamoro police and military force, noting that police and military must remain under the commander-in-chief.
The President said police and military “should belong to only one government.” /kga