PNP luring support with promotions?

ZAMBOANGA CITY — Policemen are reportedly being enticed with promotions to stop them from supporting any destabilization plot against the government, police insiders said.

Amid this, Deputy Director General Ricardo De Leon announced promotions are now open from police officer 1 to senior police officer 4, when he visited the Western Visayas regional office in Barangay Mercedes here on Wednesday.

However, De Leon was quick to deny that the promotion was meant to firm up police support for the Arroyo administration.

There are reports that the Philippine National Police (PNP) leadership is conducting a loyalty check to prevent destabilizers from recruiting policemen.

But De Leon quickly debunked the reports, noting that the announcement of the policemen’s promotion was overdue.

"The promotion has been available for the police personnel and what we’re doing is just reminding our police force to avail of that promotion," he said.

De Leon clarified that his presence at this port city had been long overdue since he was assigned as PNP Mindanao Area Command director.

"We follow the chain of command and the police force in Mindanao is solid for the administration," he said.

PNP chief Director General Arturo Lomibao also flew to Southern Mindanao on the same day and presented in General Santos City three suspected Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) militants captured by military intelligence and anti-terror agents more than two weeks ago.

The suspects are tagged as behind the General Santos City bombing last Dec. 12, 2004 that killed 15 people and wounded 67 others.

Meanwhile, Armed Forces Southern Command chief Lt. Gen. Alberto Braganza also brushed aside reports the military has been conducting a loyalty check since President Arroyo admitted on nationwide television that she was the one heard speaking to an election official in a wiretapped conversation, allegedly about vote-rigging.

Troops remain professional and constitutional soldiers, according to Braganza, and he warned he would stop any group that tries to destabilize the government.

"We will never allow any groups to destabilize and we will crush any destabilizers," he said. — Roel Pareño