Philippines local officials stripped of police powers

By Roy Ramos ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (AA) – A governor and 23 mayors were stripped of police powers after being accused of drug ties and abuse of power according to a resolution released Thursday by The National Police Commission (NAPOLCOM) to local media. The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) officer-in-charge undersecretary Catalino Cuy signed the resolution, Oct. 30, removing the administrative control over police forces of southern Philippines’ Zamboanga del Sur Province Governor Antonio Cerilles and 23 mayors from different parts of the country. “The exercise of the duties, obligations, powers, and prerogatives vested unto the foregoing local chief executives as NAPOLCOM deputy under Section 51 (b) of RA 6975 as amended are hereby suspended accordingly,” said the resolution. Cuy told the Inquirer News that the officials could no longer give orders to their respective police forces and would no longer be entitled to a security detail. The resolutions were based on the officials being tagged as “narcopoliticians” by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA). “The list was only forwarded to us by the PDEA, we did not add anyone,” said Cuy. Last July, at least 139 local government officials from different cities, towns and provinces of southern Philippines’ Mindanao islands were stripped of police powers for failure to impose measures to suppress terror acts and prevent lawless violence in their territories amidst the ongoing clashes between the government forces and the Daesh-linked Maute group Marawi City. The officials’ powers were removed for engaging in acts inimical to national security or which negate the effectiveness of the peace and order campaign of the government and providing material support to criminal elements.