Tanauan mayor intervenes in police imbroglio

TANAUAN CITY — This city’s mayor has asked the Batangas police command to postpone the return of the city police chief to defuse the tension between the latter and his men who have protested his reinstatement.

Mayor Alfredo Corona disclosed that he requested Senior Superintendent Rodolfo Magtibay, provincial police director, to hold the return of Superintendent Efren Ramos when 33 of the city’s 43 policemen aired their gripes against him.

Magtibay confirmed this. "For the meantime, I’m holding back the order of Col. Ramos’ return to Tanauan," he said.

Ramos was relieved last Jan. 24 after five inmates bolted the city jail. He was cleared of any administrative liability for the jailbreak and was told to reassume his post as city police chief last Tuesday.

But tension prevailed as majority of the city policemen threatened to barricade their headquarters to prevent the return of Ramos who they described as a "Hitler-like" superior.

The 33 police officers protesting Ramos’ reinstatement have submitted a sworn statement to city prosecutor Benito Tercero, accusing him of treating his subordinates inhumanely, controlling the issuance of surety bonds for inmates in exchange for commissions, and playing favorites among his men, among other things.

Magtibay said the allegations against Ramos would be investigated. He added, however, that he got the anti-Ramos petition after their higher-ups had ordered Ramos’ reinstatement.

Ramos, however, has denied the accusations, claiming that somebody might be behind the protest against his return.

"Trabaho lang ang importante sa akin. Pag tamad ka, siguradong papagalitan kita (What’s important to me is performance. If you are lazy, I will surely be angry at you)," he told The STAR.

"Kung nagmumura man ako (If ever I shout invectives), I never single out a person. That is addressed to everybody. Besides, it’s just my expression and (there’s) nothing personal about it," he added.

Ramos also denied receiving commissions from an insurance firm and playing favorites among his men.

Asked about his plans amid the protest against him, he said, "Pag may order ako, susundin ko ang order sa akin (If I receive an order, I will follow it), by hook or by crook."