PNP, DILG probing Benguet typhoon fatalities

CAMP DANGWA, Benguet—The Philippine National Police has begun an audit of the operations supervised by a former Benguet police director, who was ordered relieved by Interior Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento due to the high number of fatalities in the wake of Typhoon “Lando” (international name: Koppu), a Cordillera police official said.

The PNP internal affairs team is examining the instructions and programs undertaken by the Benguet police led by sacked Senior Supt. David Lacdan before Lando hit the province, said Cordillera police director, Chief Supt. Ulysses Abellera.

Abellera said he had no choice but to follow this directive.

He said he could not answer questions as to what local government guidelines Lacdan had violated in addressing the typhoon’s impact on the province.

On Monday, however, a top Department of the Interior and Local Government official met with Benguet Gov. Nestor Fongwan to look into the operations of the agency’s own employees manning the Benguet office.

Fongwan said the meeting was prompted by the number of fatalities attributed to Lando. At least 17 people died in Benguet due to landslides and other typhoon-related incidents.

Abellera said he held a conference on Monday to review the response disaster protocols.

“Our task is search, rescue and retrieval,” he said. The police had coordinated with the Office of Civil Defense when Lando hit the Cordillera. They were advised about vulnerable sites, “except we don’t have [new and more comprehensive geological] maps,” he said. Vincent Cabreza, Inquirer Northern Luzon