CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – Central Luzon police director Chief Superintendent Leonilo de la Cruz said yesterday that Camp Crame’s placement and promotion board is set to come out with three recommendees from which Gov. Eddie Panlilio can choose the new Pampanga police chief.
In an interview with Punto, De la Cruz said there is no need to act on Panlilio’s petition to oust this province’s police director Senior Supt. Keith Singian who will end his two-year term in Pampanga by next week anyway.
He said Singian’s two-term stint as Pampanga police chief expires this Jan. 11.
De la Cruz, however, said he has tasked the regional police investigation and detective management group based at Camp Olivas to investigate Panlilio’s allegation that Singian had failed to do his job during the siege of the provincial capitol last Monday by rallyists.
“The police’s placement and promotion board at Camp Crame is now deliberating on three recommendees for the post of Pampanga police chief and Gov. Panlilio will choose from this list,” De la Cruz said. The police has a policy of reassigning its police field commanders after two-year terms in an area.
“I am sure that the recommendees will be very acceptable to Gov. Panlilio since only those who are most qualified get to be listed by the placement and promotions board,” he said.
De la Cruz also told Singian and other police officers to refrain from issuing any statement in reaction to Panlilio’s accusation that they had been incompetent in dealing with last Monday’s “siege”.
Last Monday, rallyists composed of truckers protesting new anti-overloading requirements for trucks and dismissed workers of the province’s lahar quarrying operations, reached the second floor of the capitol building. They kicked open the door to Panlilio’s office and banged on the locked door of provincial administrator Vivian Dabu.
Two of the governor’s nephews who later tore down “offensive” streamers at the building were also allegedly beaten by some rallyists.
Singian later called for a press conference denying any untoward incident that threatened the safety of Panlilio and Dabu at the capitol last Monday. He said Panlilio was merely misinformed.
But despite his order to investigate Panlilio’s charges against Singian, as well as San Fernando police director Supt. Benjamin Medina, De la Cruz defended them as “fine officers who are very professional”.
“I don’t think they will be derelict in their duties on the bases of how much they like or dislike Gov. Panlilio,” he said.
Panlilio, in a statement earlier, noted that for the last eight months, he had been seeking the ouster of Singian.
Initially, Panlilio blamed Singian for the alleged continued operations of the illegal number game “jueteng” in Pampanga which, he noted, was using the legal Small Town Lottery as front.
De la Cruz, however, denied jueteng still exists not only in Pampanga, but also in the rest of Central Luzon. “What I know is that the legal STL operates, and that’s all,” he said.
In an interview with Punto, De la Cruz said there is no need to act on Panlilio’s petition to oust this province’s police director Senior Supt. Keith Singian who will end his two-year term in Pampanga by next week anyway.
He said Singian’s two-term stint as Pampanga police chief expires this Jan. 11.
De la Cruz, however, said he has tasked the regional police investigation and detective management group based at Camp Olivas to investigate Panlilio’s allegation that Singian had failed to do his job during the siege of the provincial capitol last Monday by rallyists.
“The police’s placement and promotion board at Camp Crame is now deliberating on three recommendees for the post of Pampanga police chief and Gov. Panlilio will choose from this list,” De la Cruz said. The police has a policy of reassigning its police field commanders after two-year terms in an area.
“I am sure that the recommendees will be very acceptable to Gov. Panlilio since only those who are most qualified get to be listed by the placement and promotions board,” he said.
De la Cruz also told Singian and other police officers to refrain from issuing any statement in reaction to Panlilio’s accusation that they had been incompetent in dealing with last Monday’s “siege”.
Last Monday, rallyists composed of truckers protesting new anti-overloading requirements for trucks and dismissed workers of the province’s lahar quarrying operations, reached the second floor of the capitol building. They kicked open the door to Panlilio’s office and banged on the locked door of provincial administrator Vivian Dabu.
Two of the governor’s nephews who later tore down “offensive” streamers at the building were also allegedly beaten by some rallyists.
Singian later called for a press conference denying any untoward incident that threatened the safety of Panlilio and Dabu at the capitol last Monday. He said Panlilio was merely misinformed.
But despite his order to investigate Panlilio’s charges against Singian, as well as San Fernando police director Supt. Benjamin Medina, De la Cruz defended them as “fine officers who are very professional”.
“I don’t think they will be derelict in their duties on the bases of how much they like or dislike Gov. Panlilio,” he said.
Panlilio, in a statement earlier, noted that for the last eight months, he had been seeking the ouster of Singian.
Initially, Panlilio blamed Singian for the alleged continued operations of the illegal number game “jueteng” in Pampanga which, he noted, was using the legal Small Town Lottery as front.
De la Cruz, however, denied jueteng still exists not only in Pampanga, but also in the rest of Central Luzon. “What I know is that the legal STL operates, and that’s all,” he said.
