Mayor's squads dismantled

MANILA, Philippines - Police detachments at city and town halls in Metro Manila, sometimes called the “mayor’s squads,” have been completely dismantled, the five district commanders of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) reported Thursday.

The district commanders said they have complied with a standing order of Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Jesus Verzosa for them to dismantle police detachments in their jurisdiction, but NCRPO chief Director Roberto Rosales ordered their report validated.

Rosales said he will dispatch an NCRPO unit to each of the 16 cities and one municipality to gather evidence, such as photos and videos, to determine whether police detachments were really abolished.

Rosales cited reports that while police officials and enlisted personnel assigned to police detachments were downloaded to the police stations, some police officers continue to report to city and town halls.

He said validating the district commanders’ report does not mean he has no confidence in them. Rosales said he only wants to make sure that former city or town hall detachment personnel are not “putting one over us.”

Verzosa ordered the dismantling of police detachments in city and municipal halls to level the playing field among incumbent politicians and their rivals in the coming May elections.

The PNP chief noted that police officers of city and town hall detachments are often called the “mayor’s squad” since they reportedly collect grease money from criminal gangs.

Rosales expressed satisfaction that the NCRPO’s five district commanders dismantled the city or town hall police detachment by the Jan. 7 deadline he set.

Meanwhile, Quezon City Police District director Chief Superintendent Elmo San Diego said the 104-strong city hall detachment formerly headed by Chief Inspector Ritchie Claraval has been reassigned to other QCPD police stations and units.

Claraval, a recent recipient of an award from ABS-CBN television program “XXX,” was transferred to Station 10 in Kamuning as deputy station commander.

In Parañaque City, Mayor Florencio Bernabe welcomed the move by the PNP “so that doubts that these policemen assigned in detachments are being used by local chief executives to further their interests will be erased.” – With Michael Punongbayan, Rhodina Villanueva