Police refute Panlilio on capitol 'siege'

SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – Despite already dim prospects of the recall petition and electoral protest against him, Gov. Eddie Panlilio seems headed for a rough new year.

Now, it’s him versus the police, too.

After Panlilio filed a formal petition with three government offices seeking the ouster of top provincial police officials, Senior Superintendent Keith Singian, Pampanga police director, virtually declared war against the governor in a press conference here.

“We intend to timely refute (Panlilio’s) allegations (that are) devoid of truth (and) founded on issues of voluminous hearsay and fictitious stories which can influence public opinion to the great disadvantage and discredit of the Pampanga police force and the PNP as a whole,” he said.

Panlilio, in a petition he filed last Tuesday with the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Philippine National Police and National Police Commission, accused Singian and other police officers of “incompetence.”

This, after rallyists managed to reach the second floor of the capitol building here on Monday where they kicked the door of the governor’s office and banged on the nearby office of provincial administrator Vivian Dabu.

The rallyists included truckers protesting new policies against overloading, and dismissed quarry workers demanding unpaid benefits.

Reading a prepared statement, Singian said “no violence, commotion or any disturbance” was staged in the offices of Panlilio and Dabu or in any of the adjacent rooms in the capitol building.

He quoted witnesses as denying that the rallyists kicked and banged on the doors of Panlilio and Dabu. A local television station, however, got footages of the incident.

When the rallyists went up to the second floor, Singian said some of Panlilio’s security personnel even reportedly escorted them.

He described as “incredulous and absurd” the governor’s claim that his and Dabu’s safety was put at risk.     – With Ric Sapnu