Cops want GMA to act on stalled promotion

Concerned Manila policemen who claim to have rendered service during the May 1, 2001 siege of Malacañang are appealing to President Arroyo to intervene on their behalf for the long-delayed meritorious promotion due them.

"We believe it is only the President who can break the impasse on our long-delayed promotion by issuing an executive order granting a one-rank promotion to all Manila policemen who took part in the defense of Malacañang from the unruly mob on that fateful day," commented one of the griping policemen.

More than a hundred officers and men of the Western Police District were included in the roster of policemen due for meritorious promotion for rendering exemplary service during the May 1, 2001 siege. However, their promotion were withheld after Camp Crame discovered that the list was padded with names of policemen who did not actually participate in the defense of Malacañang.

The WPD promotions board had reportedly screened all the names included in the list and came out with a "sanitized" version, however, more than a year had passed but the policemen did not get their promotion.

"We risked lives and limbs on that day and it is just proper to reward us with meritorious promotion. President Arroyo may not be aware that the services rendered by her loyal policemen are now being ignored by some officials. We hope the President gets to know our plight," lamented a policeman assigned at the intelligence division of the WPD. But the gripe of the affected policemen is in peril of being ignored by Camp Crame officials over its new policy of prohibiting policemen, who had received their regular promotion within the year, from getting their meritorious promotion notwithstanding their rendition of exemplary service during the siege.

Taking up the cudgels for the embittered group of policemen, the 5,000-strong Manila’s Finest Brotherhood Association Inc. contested the said policy and asked the National Police Commission to issue a ruling which the MFBAI argued that the one-rank promotion of Malacañang defenders is a "meritorious" one, no other requirement or condition may be imposed on the subject policemen. – Nestor Etolle