Paglas denies seeking replacement of cop, Army officials

COTABATO CITY — Businessman Ibrahim "Toto" Paglas, the Liberal Party (LP) gubernatorial candidate in the Aug. 8 elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), denied yesterday that he was seeking the replacement of certain police and military officials in the region perceived to be biased toward the other aspirants.

"I firmly believe that these officers are professional and that their only duty is to protect the flag and the Constitution. I don’t think they need to be replaced because of contentions that they are partisan," Paglas said in an interview with radio station dxMS.

Sen. Franklin Drilon, the LP president, earlier urged the Commission on Elections to replace police and military officials in the ARMM who have shown partiality toward certain candidates.

In a letter to Comelec chairman Benjamin Abalos, Drilon named them as Maj. Gen. Agustin Dema-ala, commanding general of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division; Col. Jerry Jalandoni, commanding officer of the Army’s 603rd Infantry Brigade; and Senior Superintendents Mediro Mambatao and Hamerodin Hamdag, police director of Maguindanao and Lanao del Sur, respectively.

Paglas said Dema-ala has, in fact, repeatedly assured him of impartiality.

"And I believe him (Dema-ala) and even took his words as words of honor," Paglas said.

Paglas has denied insinuations that it was him who had asked Drilon to request Abalos to immediately replace the four Army and police officials.

Key regional officials of the Lakas-CMD described as "exaggerated" the claims about the partiality of Dema-ala, Jalandoni, Mambatao and Hamdag.