• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson yesterday encouraged PCol. Leo Pamittan, the provincial police director of Negros Occidental, to submit his courtesy resignation, if he has yet to do so, in compliance to the call of his superiors in the Philippine National Police and Department of Interior and Local Government.
That is the call of their superiors, they should follow, Lacson said when asked for his comment on the call of Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamen Abalos Jr. for the courtesy resignations of all police generals and colonels in the PNP, in the wake of alleged involvement of some ranking police officials in the illegal drug trade.
We all know that men in uniform never ask questions, they just follow, the governor said.
Lacson also said he wants to talk to Pamittan, who has yet to inform him of his stand.
PCol. Thomas Joseph Martir, director of the Bacolod City Police Office, earlier confirmed that he tendered his courtesy resignation on Friday, along with several police colonels assigned in Region 6, who expressed their full support to the call of Secretary Abalos aimed at cleansing the ranks of the PNP.
There are two police brigadier generals and 29 police colonels assigned in Western Visayas.
Lacson said he is hoping that those cleared by the fact finding committee to be created by the PNP will be allowed to retain their positions.
The Association of Chief Executives Negros chaired by Victorias City Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez, who was named by DILG as among its BIDA (Buhay Ingatan, Droga’y Ayawan) ambassadors, the national government anti-drug campaign, expressed its support for the call of Abalos.
The Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP), of which Lacson is a member as the governor of Negros Occidental, also expressed its support to Abalos.
As explained by Secretary Abalos, the call forms part of the cleansing process, Lacson said, stressing also “what is important, it will redound again to the reduction of illegal drugs.”
PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin said that about 600 ranking police officials have submitted their courtesy resignations as of January 9.
In a press briefing, Azurin said those police officials are signifying their commitment to heed the appeal of Secretary Abalos Jr. to rid the police force of misfits and those with links to illegal drugs.
Lacson admitted that it is very hard to eradicate the problem of illegal drugs, because “it is a lucrative business, and people get tempted to involve themselves in this practice.”
But that should not stop any administration from pursuing the campaign in trying to bring it down to minimum, the influence of illegal drug trade, he further said.*
