|
BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya: Police Chief Superintendent
Ameto Gil Tolentino, Regional Director of Police Regional Office 02,
issued a statement regarding the alleged detention of Congressman
Carlos Padilla and three other house representatives in an email
addressed to The Manila Times.
In a coordinating conference on
Monday June 9 at the Regional Office in Tuguegarao, Cagayan
province, conducted with members of the command group, directorial
staff and Provincial Directors and Key Officers of Quirino and Nueva
Vizcaya police provincial offices, the police director clarified the
news item that appeared in The Manila Times regarding the alleged
illegal detention of Padilla’s party on Saturday June 7 in a
police checkpoint in Barangay Burgos.
Following are excerpts from
Tolentino’s email to the The Times chronicling the events:
“That the party of
Representative Padilla included Provincial Governor Loren Cuaresma
of Nueva Vizcaya, together with Vice Governor Jose Gambito and 3
municipal mayors of the concerned municipalities. Together with the
convoy were Representative Solomon R. Chungalao of Ifugao Province,
Rep. Teodoro A. Casino of Bayan Muna and Rep. Luzviminda C. Ilagan
of Gabriela party list group and members of the Committee on
Cultural Minorities of the House of the Representatives. The group who
were on board 21 vehicles was to attend a committee hearing at
Barangay Didipio, Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya.”
“That on June 7 at about 9:20
in the morning, the party was stopped at a police checkpoint in
front of the Community Police Assistance Center (COMPACT) at
Barangay Burgos, Cabarroguis, Quirino. The personnel manning the
checkpoint were PNP personnel of Burgos COMPACT and Cabarroguis
Police Station led by PCI Danilo Dasugo, the police chief of
Cabarroguis. They were all in complete uniform and with marked
vehicle . . .”
“On board the first vehicle was
the group of Governor Cuaresma, who introduced herself as the
Governor of Nueva Vizcaya and after being informed of the purpose of
the checkpoint, she even advised Police Chief Inspector Dasugo to
verify the identities of the occupants of the other vehicles. After
checking the second vehicle, Dasugo gave the go signal to let
them pass. It was at this point that Congressman Padilla on board
the third vehicle opened the window and called Dasugo and
questioned the conduct of the checkpoint. Rep. Padilla was duly
informed of the purpose of the checkpoint. The process took about five
minutes as recalled by Dasugo contrary to the news item that the
party was illegally detained for 30 minutes.”
In his report to Police Director
Gen. Avelino Razon Jr., Tolentino said that the PNP personnel
manning the checkpoint stopped the convoy of Representative Padilla
for five minutes and not 30 minutes as alleged. “They may
have been delayed but definitely was not detained,” Tolentino
said.
“The police checkpoint was
conducted in a regular manner and the party was afforded not only
security but also respect for no rude behavior was manifested by the
personnel manning the checkpoint,” Tolentino added.
--Gene Basilio
|
