The Philippine National Police headquarters in Camp Crame will not leave the Cebu City Police Office to fend for itself if Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña will retaliate against them because he was stripped of his power of police supervision and the recall of his police escorts.
“Whatever happens, Camp Crame will not leave the Cebu City police. If the mayor will help us, thank you. Otherwise, we can’t force him to do so,” said Chief Supt. Augusto Marquez, PNP Director for Investigation and Detective Management.
Marquez was in Cebu City yesterday to represent PNP Chief Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa during the inauguration of the new Crime Laboratory in the Visayas.
Even if Osmeña will recall all the vehicles the city issued to the police, Marquez said they can survive and will continue to serve the people.
He recalled that when he was assigned in Tagbilaran City in Bohol in 1986, the mayor in the place also withdrew his support to the police.
“The mayor took my police car and even the fuel allowances. What we did was to walk when we respond to requests for assistance,” he said.
“In the next election, the mayor was defeated,” he added.
Last Wednesday, the National Police Commission (Napolcom) withdrew Osmeña’s supervisorial powers over the local police.
The Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) also recalled Osmeña’s three police escorts, and directed the mayor to turn over 249 city-owned unlicensed firearms to the police.
Police Regional Director, Chief Supt. Noli Taliño explained that the mayor’s three police escorts did not have permission from dela Rosa to serve as Osmeña’s security escorts.
Marquez clarified that mayors can request for police escorts from the PNP chief .
“If there are threats, they can make a request. Of course, it will be approved. But a mayor can only have a maximum of two police escorts, and they should serve you for a certain period of time only,” he said.
“These police escorts could not serve the mayor forever. Otherwise, the mayor might as well get the services of a security agency,” he added.
Once approved by the PNP chief, the Police Security and Protection Group can provide two escorts to the mayor.
Marquez said some police offices provide more than two security escorts to a mayor for an extended period of time out of fear that the local chief executive might call for their relief.
“But that is illegal,” he said.
Last month, Osmeña withdrew support to the CCPO and washed his hands of the fight against illegal drugs and criminality after Camp Crame relieved former PRO-7 Director Patrocinio Comendador and CCPO Director Benjamin Santos from their posts.
The mayor also abandoned the cash reward system for each dead crime suspect and announced that he would stop giving allowances to new policemen who would be assigned to the city.
Osmeña said he will not give the newly appointed city police director, Senior Supt. Joel Doria, the P8,000 monthly allowance provided by the city to its police chief.
He also ordered the recall of more than 50 guns and had second thoughts about releasing the 15 patrol cars and 3 vans earlier requested by the former Cebu City police chief.