Mayor berates police for trailing his campaigner
IRKED BY HIGH POLICE VISIBILITY
MAYOR Benjamin Lim does not welcome the increase in police visibility in Dagupan City and has accused the police of being biased against his camp.
This was apparent when Lim barged into the Dagupan City Police Station Tuesday afternoon and loudly accused the policemen of being biased as he complained about the “harassment” of former Barangay 1 and 2 chairman Noel “Tano” Melecio whom he acknowledged as his campaign leader.
Lim complained that policemen have been tailing Melecio for days, even when he goes home to his second residence in Barangay Bolasi, San Fabian.
P/Supt. Christopher Abrahano, officer-in-charge of the Dagupan Police who was at Police Regional Office 1 when Lim barged into the police station, promptly denied the charge in a media interview and defended the high visibility of his policemen as one of the measures adopted to secure Dagupan during the campaign period.
“Legitimate police officers are the ones in the area (Dagupan). They are augmentation policemen sent here to maintain peace and order… Dagupan is not the only area that has been provided augmentation forces”, Abrahano pointed out.
The Regional Special Operations Task Group (RSOTG) is also set to deploy army personnel and a tank in Dagupan.
Abrahano also said that if Lim has any complaint about the policy or the official acts of the policemen on duty, the mayor should file it formally “and we will answer”.
While in the police headquarters, the mayor protested the police surveillance of Melecio’s activities when there is no warrant of arrest against his campaign leader.
However, PUNCH sources claim that reports of Melecio intimidating city residents and storeowners to agree to display campaign posters and tarpaulins of the Lims have reached the police.
SURVEILLANCE?
Before Lim rushed to the police station, he reportedly saw policemen in uniform on Nueva Street tailing Melecio and confronted them.
A DZRD radio report said the mayor even attempted to wrestle with one of the police officers for possession of his long firearm as he angrily dared the police officer to “Shoot me”.
The mayor also protested the surveillance of his other campaign leader, former councilor Nicanor Aquino.
Aquino was earlier identified as the person who lured a Belen Tamondong Fernandez of Bonuan Gueset, a namesake of vice mayor Belen Fernandez, to register as a candidate for mayor to confuse the voters.
Abrahano assured Lim that the police are neutral and that the increased police visibility and activity should not spawn panic as they are in the city to protect the voters and the candidates as well.
DE VENECIA
On the other hand, re-electionist 4th District Rep. Gina de Venecia expressed elation that policemen are now more visible in Dagupan than in previous election periods.
De Venecia said she is happy that the police force has been increased in order to protect the electorate
“This is important,” she said, “so that the electorate will be free to vote for the candidates and free from harassment by abusive politicians and their goons.”
“It’s about time to end the reign of terror that pervaded in Dagupan City in past elections, those previous violent incidents in the city could have been avoided had there been more peace officers assigned to Dagupan City to protect not only the voters but the candidates as well,” De Venecia added
Reacting to Mayor Lim’s outburst at the police station, the congresswoman said increased police visibility should be a welcome development for anyone who has not done anything illegal.
BARANGAY PROTESTS “POLICE VISIBILITY”
WHILE most Dagupan residents are pleased with the police’s high visibility these days, resident and vendors in Barangay II-III have reportedly questioned the presence of police authorities in their area, particularly those whom they alleged to be tracking former Barangay Chairman Noel Melecio, a supporter of Nacionalista Party re-electionist Mayor Benjamin S. Lim.
It was reportedly this complaint that prompted the mayor to confront two SWAT personnel in the area before proceeding to the police station to make his displeasure known.
“Are we under martial law?” said 49-year old Paez Macabantog in a press release issued by the City Information Office.
Recalling his days in Mindanao where a heavily-armed group would regularly check their houses, Paez said “siyempre bilang residente o kahit na mga vendors eh matatakot kung may mga armado na bigla na lang magma-manman sa bawat kilos namin dito.”
Paez asserted that there is no trouble in their barangay that would warrant the police presence.
“Masaya kami rito sa Nueva, at walang ganyang gulo, dahil sa totoo lang eh ngayon lang nagkaroon ng ganitong klaseng pangyayari na kung saan halos 24 hours nakabantay ang mga fully-armed police, SWAT at mga sundalo sa amin,” said Paez, a Muslim resident of Nueva street for 15 years.
Tessie Pugoy, a 62-year-old coffee vendor, also reportedly complained about a group of heavily armed men in a police mobile unit patrolling Nueva.
“Apektado tuloy ang benta naming mga vendors dito, kasi natatakot pati mga mamimili namin,” Pugoy lamented.
Meanwhile, former Councilor Nicanor Aquino, also a supporter of Lim, complained to the Dagupan City Police Station that he was “watched and stalked” by still unidentified and armed-to-the-teeth policemen from April 21 to 23.
Aquino, husband of Marianne Ang, a candidate for councilor under the ticket of Lim, called on lawmen to remain neutral and insure clean, honest and orderly elections.
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