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Ni Ime Sornito
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Friday, August 18, 2017
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BACOLOD City – The Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (Nocppo) denied that the Hinigaran municipal police were being uncooperative with Mayor Nadie Arceo in his antidrug campaign.
In fact, it was Arceo who was “acting beyond” the limits of his power over the local Philippine National Police (PNP) unit, Nocppo said in an emailed statement.
According to Nocppo, Arceo in radio interviews expressed dismay over the Hinigaran police – particularly the chief, Senior Inspector Lawrence Bathan – for “disrespecting” him and “not cooperating” in his campaign against illegal drugs.
“He was complaining to the media that the police were giving him misleading information on the illegal drug situation and that he was the one giving the police information instead of the other way around,” Nocppo said.
Arceo’s claims were “not true,” said the provincial police headquarters.
Since Bathan assumed office on June 14, the Hinigaran police station – in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Police Regional Office 18 – arrested 15 drug suspects and seized 24.31 grams of shabu valued at P243,570, Nocppo said, citing records.
All the arrested suspects were charged. Most of the operations were “accomplished as a result of intelligence operations conducted by our operatives with the help of the people in Hinigaran,” it said.
Panay News was still trying to reach Arceo for comment as of press time.
Contrary to his claim, Arceo “has been informed of the true picture of the illegal drug situation in his town,” and while it is true that he was giving the police information, such information “appeared to be untruthful upon validation,” Nocppo said.
Moreover, Arceo was “acting like a chief of police … [wanting] the PNP personnel to report directly to him with regard to the illegal drug situation and illegal drug personalities in his town.”
The mayor was already “acting beyond his power” to the extent of requiring the police to divulge confidential information, including the identity of the confidential informants, the Nocppo claimed.
Local chief executives exercise operational supervision and control over the police in their jurisdiction but “such power is limited and does not include the power to intervene on matters exclusively within the domain of police functions,” it said.
“His actuations appeared to be doubtful,” the Nocppo said. “Even courts exercise restraint in divulging confidential informants.”
Nocppo also noted that Arceo had been discontent with his chiefs of police since the PNP launched an intensified campaign against drug trafficking in July 2016, changing them despite their accomplishments./PN
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