PNP called out for supposed election agenda in organizing force multipliers

Senator Panfilo Lacson on Tuesday called out the supposed political agenda behind the program of gathering people and groups as force multipliers for the Philippine National Police as election nears.

During the hearing of the Senate Committee on Finance for the over P248.5-billion budget of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Lacson questioned the purpose of the program.

“I'll be very frank, pampolitika ito ng Community Relations, ‘di ba. Kasi yung director for [Police Community Relations ] ninyo, kakandidato yung asawa niya sa party-list?” he said.

(I’ll be very frank, this is for political purposes of Community Relations, isn’t it? Because the spouse of your director for Police Community Relations will run for party-list?)

He was referring to the program, Global Coalition of Lingkod Bayan Advocacy Support Groups and Force Multipliers, which was officially launched in June.

The coalition consists of civilian organizations which will serve as the police’s partner in its fight against crime and police community relations programs.

Lacson, a former PNP chief, advised that the term “global coalition” should be removed to make its supposed agenda discreet.

“The PNP is a territorial force. Ang ina-address nito ay internal threat especially criminality, but why Global Coalition?” he said.

‘Engagement with OFWs’

PNP chief Police General Guillermo Eleazar explained that some police attachés in other countries have also been coordinating with overseas Filipino workers to assist them with their concerns or family.

“So that we can have engagement with OFWs and their families and so we can assist them,” he said.

“I would like to assure the members of the Senate and the people that this activity, this effort of the PNP to engage with the public, will not be used for political purposes,” he added.

Senator Ronald dela Rosa, also a former PNP chief, said that this program’s engagement with OFWs actually started during his leadership in the police organization.

According to him, many OFWs sought help from the PNP regarding their family members in the Philippines amid the intense campaign for war on drugs.

Dela Rosa said this was explained to him by his then former director for Police Community Relations, Police Major General Rhodel Sermonia, who is now the director for operations of the PNP.

On Wednesday, Sermonia said that the program is apolitical and for inclusive community development.

“Whoever is feeding Senator Lacson of this information must be ill-informed about the noble intention of the PCR program and misconstrued the mandate of the PNP on community relations are cheap political campaigning, especially the OFW issue,’ he told GMA News Online in a message.

“With all due respect to the good Senator, we understand his apprehension because the issue cropped up during election season but rest assured that the PCR program being contested is apolitical,” he added.

Eleazar said there is no specific allocation for this. However, he said the over P1 billion budget under ELCAC funds will be spread to 12 clusters, which can also use the amount for the program.

Senator Nancy Binay suggested that the PNP program’s functions should be transferred to concerned agencies.

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said he already talked to Eleazar and Sermonia about the possibility of those taking advantage of the program for the coming elections.

“We cautioned, gave warning that force multipliers should not be used for election-related activities,” he said.

In August, Lacson said a police general allegedly instructed his subordinates to conduct a census in different barangays using the government’s anti-insurgency funds.

He added that the activity might be election-related. The PNP already denied the allegations of the senator. — RSJ/BM, GMA News