40 CAR cops told to leave homes

MANILA, Philippines - It’s a blue Christmas for more than 40 policemen living inside Camp Bagong Dangwa in Benguet, the headquarters of the Cordillera police, as they were ordered by their superiors to vacate their homes they have been occupying for at least 45 years.

Ignoring a status quo order from Camp Crame, officials from the Cordillera police directed the policemen to demolish their homes to give way to scheduled improvements on the camp.

For refusing to adhere to the order of their superiors, the policemen were re-assigned to far-flung areas of the provinces comprising the Cordillera region separating them from their families and incurring them additional expenses as they have to rent rooms where they should stay.

“Our children were traumatized by our present predicament,” said a policeman, who refused to be identified for fear of reprisal from his superiors.

He said his group is not against the demolition of their houses. “What we are questioning is the timing of the demolition which if implemented at this time would cause us and our families irreparable damage and exorbitant expenses,” he said. “It’s Christmas time, so our superiors should give us and our families a break for us to celebrate the Yuletide season.”

There are actually 270 settlers inside Camp Bagong Dangwa, with the rest of them either retired police personnel and civilians.

The policemen claimed Senior Superintendent Fidel Posadas, chief-of-staff of the Cordillera police issued them a notice on Nov. 24 for them to vacate their houses immediately to give way to improvements of the camp.

They were threatened with charges of grave misconduct and civil and criminal cases should they fail to comply with the directive, the police residents claimed.

Director Luizo Ticman, head of the directorate for logistics of the Philippine National Police claimed the move was part of the PNP’s effort to give integrity to the territory or land property of the national police.

“It’s part of the PNP’s effort to reclaim its property which are now occupied by squatters,” said Ticman.