The suspension of the deputation of Mayor Melecio Yap over the Escalante police by the National Police Commission, is expected to be clarified when Chief Supt. Cipriano Querol, regional police director of Western Visayas, appears at an executive session with members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Negros Occidental, on Sept. 14.

The provincial council of Negros Occidental  had earlier passed a resolution, inviting Querol to a closed door meeting  with provincial board members on Aug. 31, on motion of Board Member Renato Gustilo, chairperson of the SP committee on Peace and Order.

Querol, however, sent an emissary to the SP that he will be  available only after Sept. 12, so the SP  re-scheduled  the  session on Sept. 14.

It was the confidential report of Querol and the investigations of Napolcom regional director Honey Paredes, that  served as basis for the Napolcom,  chaired by Interior and Local Government secretary Jesse Robredo, to suspend the administrative and operational control of Yap over the Escalante police.

Querol had  also stripped Yap of his three police escorts, who were re-assigned to Iloilo, two months ago, for still unknown reasons.

In a resolution,  the Escalante SP, condemned Querol, for what they called his “unreasonable, discourteous and illegal action” of reassigning SPO1 Angel Sinadjan, SPO1 Rene Anida and SPO1 Heracleo Canete from Escalante City to Iloilo.

The resolution states that the relief of  the three policemen was done without any coordination and courtesy to  Yap, and due process  for  the affected police officers.

The Negros Occidental mayors, Bayan Muna partylist Rep. Neri Colmenares, Gustilo, City Council and Association of Barangay Captaions in Escalante,  Carmelite priests and militant groups  expressed  support to Yap, who cried foul over his suspension, saying he was denied due process.

In  its order  to  Yap, the Napolcom cited numerous extra-judicial killings in Escalante City, and his alleged close association with the NPA.

However, Senior Supt. Allan Guisihan, Negros Occidental police director, said that,  in the absence of guidelines from the Napolcom  for  the suspension of the deputation of Yap, he   still has administrative and operational control of the Escalante police.*GPB

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