ILOILO City – On Saturday night just hours before the election period commenced on Sunday, Jan. 9, five police provincial directors in Western Visayas were relieved from their posts.
“During election time, police officials serving their posts for over a year are relieved,” explained Police Brigadier General Flynn Dongbo, director of the Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6).
The relieved police directors were the following:
* Iloilo Police Provincial Office’s (IPPO) Police Colonel Gilbert Gorero – to be replaced by Police Colonel Adrian Acollador, chief of the Regional Operations Division, PRO-6
* Guimaras Police Provincial Office’s (GPPO) Police Colonel Pablito Asmod – to be replaced by Police Colonel Richard Baluis, chief of the Comptrollership Division, PRO-6
* Antique Police Provincial Office’s (APPO) Police Colonel Roy Parena – to be replaced by Police Colonel Alexander Mariano from Camp Crame
* Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office’s (NOPPO) Police Colonel Romy Palgue – to be replaced by Police Colonel Leo Pamitan from Camp Crame
* Capiz Police Provincial Office’s (CPPO) Police Colonel Laudemar Llaneta – to be replaced by Police Colonel Winston De Belen, former chief of the PRO-6 Highway Patrol Group (HPG)
Except for Llaneta who began serving the CPPO just six months ago, the rest these police provincial directors have been serving their posts for over a year already.
Llaneta, however, was not confirmed by Capiz’s Gov. Estevan Evan Contreras as a full-fledged police director of the province.
Dongbo said Gorero is switching places with Acollador while the four other director would have to wait for their new assignments.
But the turnover will push through today at 2 p.m. in Camp Delgado, the headquarters of the PRO-6 in Iloilo City.
“These directors are performing police officers, but we have to follow the order from the higher command that during election time, police officers serving over one year in their posts will be relieved,” said Dongbo.
‘UPHOLD NEUTRALITY’
Two months ago, November last year, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea directed the heads, officers, and employees of all state departments and offices to “uphold the principle of political neutrality in government at all times.”
Citing the 1987 Constitution, Medialdea’s memorandum stated that any officer or employee in the civil service, regardless of the nature of appointment, as well as members of the armed forces, are prohibited from “engaging, directly or indirectly, in any partisan political activity.”
Under the memorandum, officers and enlisted personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines may also be disciplined, consistent with the military due process under Commonwealth Act 408 or the Articles of War.
The order also covered the officials and personnel of government-owned or -controlled corporations, government financial institutions, and state universities and colleges, and uniformed agencies.
“As we approach the 2022 national and local elections, public officials and employees must all the more uphold political neutrality in the government service, maintain professionalism in the discharge of their duties, and guarantee that government programs are administered in a nonpartisan manner,” the memorandum read.
Partisan political activity, according to Batas Pambansa 881 or the Omnibus Election Code, is an act “designed to promote the election or defeat of a particular candidate or candidates to a public office.”
“Any government official or employee who acted in violation of the aforementioned restrictions shall be dealt with in accordance with civil service laws, the Omnibus Election Code and other relevant laws, policies and regulations,” the Palace memorandum said.
Medialdea also cited Republic Act 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees which mandates every public official and employee to provide service to everyone “without discrimination and regardless of party affiliation and preference.”
He said the prohibition on electioneering and partisan political activities shall be applied without regard to the supported candidate or party, and shall extend to any conduct of government workers whether in traditional or new media.
“The foregoing notwithstanding, all public officials and employees are encouraged to exercise fully and freely, and to the extent not prohibited by the Constitution and laws, their right to participate in the electoral exercise, consistent with the democratic processes of the country,” Medialdea said. (With a report from the Philippine News Agency/PN)
