Malacañang came to the defense of the country’ top cop, saying calls for his resignation following police operations in Negros Oriental that resulted in the death of 14 individuals has “no basis.”
“There is absolutely no basis in fact and in law for the PNP (Philippine National Police) Chief, General Oscar Albayalde, to resign,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a statement posted on his Facebook page on Saturday, April 6.
“General Albayalde has even acted objectively by relieving administratively ranking officers from their posts just to pave the way for a thorough and impartial investigation free from any possible undue influence and to determine whether lapses were made during the conduct of these operations,” he added.
It was on Tuesday when the PNP chief ordered the relief of four highest police officials in Negros Oriental namely: Negros Oriental provincial police director, Colonel Raul Tacaca, Canlaon City police chief, Colonel Patricio Degay, Manjuyod Municipal police chief, Lieutenant Kevin Roy Mamaraldo, and Sta. Catalina police chief, Captain Michael Rubia.
[READ: Albayalde relieves 4 highest police officials in Negros Oriental]
Panelo has maintained that the police operations is a “legitimate” one, noting that authorities were “implementing search warrant duly issued by competent courts.”
His statement came after the Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives on Wednesday called for the resignation of Albayalde and asked the House Committee on Human Rights to conduct a probe into the March 30 “mass killings” of 14 farmers in Canlaon City, Manjuyod town, and Sta. Catalina town in Negros Oriental during separate police operations.
The police had said these victims were believed to be members and supporters of the New People’s Army (NPA) who resisted arrest when the cops issued search warrants for alleged illegal possession of firearms and explosives.
“As the PNP explained, this is not a case of massacre given the fact that those who surrendered without forceful resistance were lawfully apprehended unharmed following the discovery of illegal items pursuant to the court-sanctioned search,” Panelo stressed.
“In fact, a policeman was wounded which goes to show that there were indeed some who used violent resistance when authorities were conducting the search,” he continued.
The Palace official said various “interest groups,” including Karapatan, are using the incident to “sow hate and spread fear towards duly constituted authorities.”
Albayalde earlier hit back at the lawmakers calling for his resignation, saying they should be the one to step down and not him.
“We should vehemently send our condemnation against these people supporting the perceived enemies of the state to gain power themselves, even sacrificing the innocent lives of young students to attain their own propaganda against our country and government,” he said.
The top cop reiterated that there is an ongoing impartial investigation to determine whether or not there were “lapses” in the police operations.
The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) also said it has launched its own investigation into the incident.