Board members, mayors seek recall of Chan
LINGAYEN—Members of the provincial board and 30 of the 44 municipal mayors are seeking for the “recall or revocation of appointment” of Senior Supt. Marlou Chan as officer-in-charge police director of the province due to the unsolved killings in the province and his alleged political biases.
In a petition, the Pangasinan officials cited 23 documented shooting incidents had taken place in Pangasinan since the start of the election gun ban last January 13.
The petition, made public last week, appears to have been signed around March because the police have already reported more than 70 shooting incidents from January 13 to present.
The petitioners also cited Chan’s act of relieving town police chiefs despite the prohibition on the transfer or movement of officers in public service during an election period.
They also accused Chan of openly flaunting his political leanings.
GOVERNOR’S STANCE
A statement from the Provincial Information Office said Gov. Amado Espino Jr. has already written Commission on Elections Chairman Sixto Brillantes seeking Chan’s relief.
“I believe the mayors and the governor deserve the basic courtesy of being informed of the movements in the PNP organization, they being concurrent chairs of their respective peace and order councils, charged with the command responsibility for the overall peace and order situation in their respective jurisdictions,” Espino said in his letter to Brillantes.
The petition asks the Philippine National Police to restore the status quo in Pangasinan prior to the appointment of Chan.
Chan said he has not received a copy of the petition.
Lawyer Monday Samson, provincial officer of the National Police Commission, said there is a Personnel Selection Board that determines the designation or assignment of an officer to a specific place.
Meanwhile, the officers and men of the Pangasinan Police Provincial Office said in a separate statement through a text message that they are neither disturbed nor distracted by the issues of PNP leadership in the province.
They said they support Chan’s initiatives being their highest officer and are focused on the security preparations for the May elections.
“We still have a lot of things to prioritize and we enjoin all stakeholders to work altogether towards safe and fair elections,” they added.—Eva Visperas
Share your Comments or Reactions
Powered by Facebook Comments
