CLARK FREEPORT – Central Luzon police director Chief Supt. Ronald Santos said he would not allow policemen under him to go on mass leave to express sympathy for the socalled Fallen 44.
“We express sympathy for our colleagues who bravely gave up their lives for others in the incident in Mamasapano in Maguindanao, but we should not be moved by too much emotionalism,” Santos said during his briefing ofmedia folk covering the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit here Monday.
Santos stressed that “mass leave is out of the picture in the police force in Central Luzon, especially now that we are securing APEC at Clark and Subic venues.” This, even as Santos also dismissed rumors of coup d’etat because of the Mamapasano incident.
“I have seen four coups in my career and all I can say is never again,” he said.While saying that he has not received any report of coup plot in Central Luzon, Santos said “we will nevertheless remain vigilant.”
At the same time, Santos also said that security operations for the ongoing APEC meetings here and Subic have remained smooth.
He said about 2,800 cops now secure the APEC delegates at the two venues, as well as in surrounding areas. “All policemen on duty were provided by Globe telecom with cellphones with unlimited calls for the duration of the summit,” he added.
