BOARD MEMBERS PIQUED BY SNUBS

LINGAYEN–The Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) has threatened Police Provincial Director Senior Superintendent with a dose of his own medicine: the two-strike policy against his town police chiefs if two killings are unsolved.

In this case, Board Member Alfonso Bince Jr. said Ricaforte is given one more chance to appear before the SP in its next regular session on December 10 after the police provincial director snubbed the board’s earlier invitation for him to present his programs before the body.

Bince hinted at the SP’s annoyance and stopped short of saying that Ricaforte could face being declared persona non grata in Pangasinan if he snubs the council a second time.

The council did just that in the case of retired Department of Public Works and Highways Flood Control Office chief Philip Menez, who served in concurrent capacity as officer in charge of the Agno Flood Control Systems Office, after he ignored the repeated invitations of the SP to attend their session.

Last week, Ricaforte, noting the resurgence of extra-judicial killings in the province, revived the two-strike policy for police chiefs, promptly relieving them of their posts if two or more unsolved crimes take place in their assigned areas.

Provincial Resolution No. 242-2010, passed on December 3, invited Ricaforte once more for the body’s question hour on December 10 to report on the alleged resurgence of extra-judicial killings, jueteng operations, and other illegal activities in the province.

Bince noted that since taking over the post from then Provincial Director Senior Superintendent Percival Barba, Ricaforte has yet to make a courtesy call before the SP as a customary practice of new police provincial directors assigned to Pangasinan.

Bince called on Ricaforte to “come around” to tell the board what is really happening in Pangasinan, especially the so-called resurgence of extra-judicial killings and jueteng.

He added Ricaforte once had a day-long “get together” with Board Members Amadeo Espino and Von Mark Mendoza in Manila, but this was by no means an official meeting.

On jueteng, Bince said, “I am being made to choose on whether there is or there is no jueteng in Pangasinan based on conflicting reports.  So, I would like to believe the media reports that there is,” Bince said.

Board Member Jeremy Rosario said the SP must know the programs of the police force on peace and order so that the legislative body can extend its help.—LM

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