Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Rommel Francisco Marbil wants the Abra police to be probed for possible negligence, and assured personnel would be held accountable following various incidents believed to be in connection to the fast-approaching May 12 polls.
In RH 52 Edniel Parrosa’s report, the top cop questioned how such incidents could get past the task force assigned to the province.
“We’ll make sure that these people will be accountable. Paano nangyari ‘yan, ang rami na nating pulis diyan (How did that happen, we have so many policemen there). In fact, we are already augmented with the military. Sabi ko, ‘Kung very strong checkpoint po kami, hindi po mangyayari (I said, ‘If we have a very strong checkpoint, those incidents would not have occurred),’” he told reporters at Camp Crame.
Early Wednesday morning, the Dangdangla Elementary School in Bangued, a designated polling site, caught fire and sustained extensive damages. The barangay head laid the blame on the provincial police, which the latter denied.
Prior to this, police were accused of harassment during the training of poll watchers in the area.
“Dalawa lang ‘yan: gross incompetence and gross negligence (sa) trabaho nila. This is dismissible doon sa PNP natin,” Marbil declared, adding that officers proven guilty of the above may be penalized.
(That’s only due to two things: gross incompetence and gross negligence in their work. These are grounds for dismissal in our PNP.)
Nonetheless, the PNP has assured that its forces are “100 percent” prepared for the upcoming midterm elections.
