Duterte demands ouster of regional police head

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte yesterday demanded the ouster of the Southern Mindanao police director, or else the city government of Davao would withdraw all its logistical support to the police.

In his television program “Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa,” Duterte said his request for the ouster of Chief Superintendent Pedro Tango stemmed from the arrest of a communist rebel here last Jan. 1 at a time when the 19-day ceasefire with the New People’s Army (NPA) was still in effect.

Duterte said the arrest of Edwin Brigano was a direct affront to the city government’s policy of making the city a safe haven for rebels who wanted to enjoy the holidays and the ceasefire.

Last month, Duterte and his daughter, Mayor Sara Duterte, extended their invitation to NPA guerrillas to celebrate the holidays in this city and assured them of their safety.

Superintendent Querubin Manalang, regional police spokesman, said the arrest of Brigano was legal as he had pending warrants of arrest for various crimes.

Duterte, however, said that with the implementation of the ceasefire, any warrants of arrest related to the crime of rebellion were deemed suspended.

Duterte said crimes like robbery and murder are absorbed in the complex crime of rebellion, thus when the ceasefire was declared by no less than President Aquino police authorities should have observed it in the right perspective.

“(But) it was the mindset of Tango and his regional command that they were, in the beginning, in bad faith na. Ang spirit sa offer was to foster goodwill. But since there was an immediate retort from Manalang that those with warrants of arrest would nevertheless be arrested, I will appoint an accusing finger at Tango. Manalang was just articulating what is on Tango’s mind,” Duterte said.

Tango, however, clarified that the arrest of Brigano was made by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and the PNP’s Special Action Force (SAF) which, he said, are not under the control of the regional police command.

“These two units (CIDG and SAF) are separate units with their own respective directors,” Tango said.

Duterte said, “I will demand the ouster of Tango or else we will withdraw the support to the police… You will not get anything from the civilian government.”

Duterte said the city government is the one providing for all the vehicles of the city police, and is also spending P1 million a day for the operation of Task Force Davao.

This is not the first time that Duterte had a misunderstanding with a regional police director. A few years ago, he also had a word war with then police director Eduardo Matillano.

Duterte’s misunderstanding with Tango stemmed from the perception that the latter was as an appointee of then Speaker Prospero Nograles, Duterte’s archrival.

But even before Nograles’ defeat in the 2010 elections, Tango, however, managed to stay in his post due to his alleged closeness with Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo.

According to unconfirmed reports though. there is an impending revamp in the Philippine National Police wherein all city and regional police directors will be replaced or reshuffled.