Sarmiento wants Calbayog cops returned to old posts

(This item appears in today's edition of the Leyte-Samar Daily Express)

Tacloban City - The outgoing mayor of Calbayog City, Mel Senen Sarmiento, has asked for the immediate return of the 52 policemen from the city who were removed from their assignments during the recently-held elections.

Sarmiento, in a talk with the employees of the city government after the flag-raising ceremonies at the City Hall grounds yesterday, admitted that he was hurt and felt insulted when the regional headquarters of the Philippine National Police pulled out practically the entire city police force.

Worse, the checkpoints were established in the area where he lives, Sarmiento, who won as a congressman representing Samar's first congressional district, said in his extemporaneous speech, a voice copy of which was provided to Leyte Samar Daily Express.

"I could not understand what the professionalism of the Philippine National Police is all about? I'm somewhat lost . . a level of respect to the leadership of the PNP (here in the region)," Sarmiento said.

The city mayor said that if indeed the regional leadership of the PNP was true to its mandate of ensuring peaceful elections in Calbayog, "They should have leveled the playing fields."

Sarmiento could be alluding to the perceptions that the PNP in the region were favoring other candidates to the disadvantage of other candidates like himself.

The city has been earlier identified by the PNP as one of the "areas of concern" during the elections.

Sarmiento, who is also the incumbent chair of the Regional Development Council, said that he would sit down with the officials of the Department of the Interior and Local Government for the immediate return of the city policemen.

Sarmiento said that 52 policemen from Calbayog city police station were relieved from their respective posts, led by then city police chief, Superintendent Lito Bigoy, days before the conduct if the May 10 elections.

these policemen were reassigned to the regional PNP headquarters for their alleged political partisanship. They have yet to return to their old posts in Cabayog City.

Sarmiento also said that the alleged partisanship among the policemen of Calbayog City, which was used as the basis for their transfer, has to be proven first by the PNP regional; headquarters before they were sacked from their posts.

He said that being natives of the city, the possibility that these sacked policemen could have relatives or friends seeking elective posts during the May 10 elections was not remote.

"We're all from Calbayog. We're all friends. Just because they are form here, they were removed even without authority from the Commission on Elections," Sarmiento said.

He also said that as the chief executive of the city, he should have been provided with a list of who would be Calbayog's chief of police.

Sarmiento also said that since he became a mayor, all the requests of the police organization were granted by him, including paper and gasoline supplies. (JOEY A. GABIETA)