By: Aaron B. Recuenco
Some of the policemen who were relieved in Caloocan City due to involvement in some illegal activities will be used as pacifiers in today’s protest action in Luneta and other areas in Metro Manila.
But there is nothing to worry, according to Director Oscar Albayalde, chief of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO).
“A few of them will be used, very few of them especially the Police Officers 1 and Police Officers 2,” Albayalde told reporters in a press briefing at Camp Crame.
Albayalde was reacting to the jokes circulating in the social media that protesters should be very careful since Caloocan policemen will be at the frontline for rallyists.
It was recalled that the entire Caloocan City policemen, numbering to more than 1,000, were sacked from their posts for alleged involvement in various illegal activities, including the alleged execution of minors and robbery.
Albayalde explained that the relief of the Caloocan police has not yet been completed as it was done by batches. Each batch will be subjected to retraining.
And since some members of the NCRPO Regional Public Safety Battalion (RPSB) were tapped to replace Caloocan cops, he said those who were relieved have to fill in the gaps of the RPSB which is usually being tapped in securing protest actions in Metro Manila.
The official said that all those who will be tapped in Civil Disturbance Management in today’s rally will not be armed.
Albayalde also assured maximum tolerance in today’s protest action, what with the controversy created in last year’s rally at the US Embassy wherein a Manila policeman deliberately ran over some of the protesters using a police car.
Aside from the September 21 rally, Albayalde said some of the relieved Caloocan policemen will also be tapped for security in the Association of Southeast Asia Nations meeting that will be held in the country.
Director General Ronald dela Rosa, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said he is currently recruiting policemen from Davao region to be assigned to Caloocan City.
“Until now I am looking for Davao policemen because deployment in Caloocan entails unnecessary expenses. So we really need volunteers,” said Dela Rosa.
