Thus Philippine National Police Director Gen. Ricardo Marquez challenged provincial police commanders on killings of political personalities, especially village officials in Nueva Ecija.
Marquez, who was responsible for the peaceful conduct of elections in Nueva Ecija as provincial director in 2010, told chiefs of police and unit commanders in a conference here Friday that they could not simply dismiss such violence as non-political without the support of evidence.
Sources said Marquez “became impatient several times” during the election preparation conference that was also attended by officials from the Philippine Army, Commission on Elections provincial office and representatives from Smartmatic.
“Nakita ko na hindi pa ganoon ka-thorough yung appreciation nila ng problema. Kasi pag tinatanong ko dun sa yung mga nangyari bang insidente ay election-related? Medyo hindi ganoon ka-definite ang sagot.” Marquez said, explaining that he and his directorial staff are going the rounds of police offices nationwide to get the full grasp of the situation as part of their preparation for Secure and Safe Elections (SAFE) 2016.
“Gusto ko makarinig ng sagot na base sa ebidensiya hindi po election-related yun. Because like what I’ve said hindi kami mga manghuhula we are supposed to be investigators. We are not supposed to be speculators”” he said.
The killings of several village officials in the province has remained unsolved. In this city, Barangay Chairs Roger Pascual of Camp Tinio and Cesar Baltazar of Gen. Luna were slain last year.
A barangay chairman was also killed in Cabiao town early this year.
Beside tracking down suspects and providing evidence on the previous killings, Marquez also ordered the inventory of guns in the hands of local government units that may be used in the forthcoming elections.
The threat of guns owned by LGUs could be bigger than that of private individuals, Marquez said. There were LGUs, he said, that were allowed to procure high powered firearms before because of insurgency problems. “E baka magamit ngayon, yun ang ipinabibilang natin,” he said.
The provincial police office has recovered 70 assorted firearms from private individuals in a One-Time Big-Time anti- loose firearms operation throughout Nueva Ecija. At least 39 people were also arrested and charged with illegal possession of firearms and ammunitions and for violation of the Omnibus Election Law.
