Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña challenged Cebu City Police Director Police Colonel Royina Garma to solve in 10 days the strafing incident in the house of Sudlon II Barangay Captain Prescillo Albores. | Delta Dyrecka Letigio
CEBU CITY, Philippines – “Let’s be professional on this, and we will investigate it.”
This was the statement made by Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, General Oscar Albayalde to the recent accusations hurled by Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña that the police in Cebu City were allegedly being used for ‘political purposes’.
“Well, we will investigate that. Sana naman let us not make conclusions no ora-orada na sinasabi na blaming a group or agency,” said Albayalde.
(Well, we will investigate that. Let’s not make hasty conclusions blaming a group or an agency.)
“If talagang police yung gumawa, eh, we will give them punishment. Rest assured kung talagang may gumawang police diyan,” he added.
(If the police really did that. Then, we will give them punishment. Rest assured, we will do that if the police here really did that.)
READ MORE: Osmeña: President Duterte will hear about the police being used for politics
Albayalde also encouraged politicians all over the country to cooperate with police if they felt that some law enforcers were being used for partisan politics.
He said that if proven, these police might face suspension – or worse, dismissal from public service.
“Minimum is suspension to dismissal from the service kung talagang ma prove kung police yan. They should give us their evidence. They should share to us what they know not yung what they say,” he said.
(The minimum sanction is suspension to dismissal from service if it would be proven that the police really did that. They should give us their evidence. They should share to us what they know not what they would say.)
“Kung may evidence sila, share them to us. I can assure these candidates and politicians that we will investigate thoroughly kung may ebidensya. We welcome it, and we will never tolerate any of our ranks mag engage na ganyan,” he added.
(If they have evidence against these police officers, then share them to us. I can assure these candidates and politicians that we will investigate thoroughly if they have proof. We welcome it, and we will never tolerate any of our ranks to engage in that [partisan politics].)
Osmeña gave the police a 10-day deadline to solve the two strafing incidents involving the houses of the barangay captains of Sinsin and Sudlon II, both hinterland villages of Cebu City or he would accuse the police of being involved in the strafing attacks.
READ MORE: Homes of two village chiefs peppered with bullets
Both village chiefs, whose houses were attacked, are allied with the mayor under the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK).
READ RELATED STORY: House strafing incidents: Mayor Osmeña puts up P100K reward
Police Colonel Royina Garma, director of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), earlier slammed Osmeña’s move, and responded by stating that the mayor should stop acting childish.
READ MORE: Garma on Osmeña’s 10-day deadline: It’s childish way of solving something
Osmeña also threatened to withdraw the city’s support towards the police to which Albayalde replied: “Well, we can always do that. Ginawa naman niya yun. I’m sure the DILG (Department of Interior and Local Government) will be made to explain if they (Cebu City government) don’t want to give support.”
Albayalde assured their counterparts in Cebu City that support coming from PNP’s headquarters will be provided.
“Rest assured we can give support to our people on the ground, If they don’t want to support the PNP that’s their problem not ours,” he said. /dbs