“Walang lobby sa kin (There was no lobby at my level),” Chief Supt. Leon Nilo de la Cruz said amid reports of a somewhat hostile turnover last week.
The relief of Senior Supt. Allen Bantolo and the assumption of Senior Supt. Diosdado Ramos were “on the orders of the national headquarters,” De la Cruz said.
He said Bantolo and Ramos both belonged to Class ’83 of the Philippine Military Academy.
In his outgoing speech, Bantolo said he was turning over the command “with mixed feelings.”
He pointed to a “dangerous precedent” that he said should be “addressed at its infancy.”
“…If this will not be given serious thoughts and consideration, this might become the rust that will derail the transformation program being pursued by no less than our Chief PNP,” he said.
Bantolo referred to religious groups that meddle in the affairs of the police.
“Had I been relieved for causes attributable to my lapses and shortcomings there’s no problem. But if unseen hands, specially religious organizations who violate the constitutional mandate of the separation of the Church and State, by dipping their power and influence over duly elected local government officials, then this is very very dangerous,” he said, without naming any groups or persons.
Peace and order, Bantolo added, is not a “ province of religious or theological domain.”
“Simply put: clergies, preachers, deacons and their likes have no place in meddling in purely governmental affairs. The selection of police officers should therefore be left as an exclusive discretion of local government officials such as governors and mayors which is embodied under PNP Law or Republic Act 8975,” Bantolo pointed out.
He also called it absurd that local officials “virtually mortgaged” their right to select police officers in the name of political patronage and expediency.
“In short the rights of our duly elected leaders under the PNP Law have been surrendered to the dictates of a Church who have become fond of holding hostage politician in Bulacan who seek electoral support,” Bantolo noted.
The so-called mingling of the church in police’s affairs could “threaten the very core of our national security and political stability,” calling the practice “unconstitutional and condemnable”
Aside from sowing seeds of discontent, he said the practice has ruinedthe morale of the PMA that upholds courage, integrity and loyalty.
“What is ironic is that a Church who is expected to teach Christian values was the architect of an insidious plot that targeted an innocent officer like me. My only SIN is that I do not boot-lick power brokers but simply stick to the chain of command,” Bantolo went on.
He said he spoke about the matter because silence allows “evil to triumph.”
“So let it not be said that I did not pause to light a candle when it was dark and was needed most,” he said.
De la Cruz said that while Bantolo’s speech stirred controversy, it was expected of Ramos to perform well.
