Saturday, October 27, 2007 Watch those funds, police told
WITH the troops sent off yesterday for election duties, police officials also announced that a subsistence allowance will be distributed to all police officers for the elections.
And to avoid a controversy that surfaced in the May 14 polls, Chief Supt. Ronald Roderos urged all police commanders, task group heads and chiefs of police to be transparent in the distribution of funds.
Roderos, who saw off 100 personnel from the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) yesterday, said that if the money was used for organized messing or meals, the police chief should post receipts of the purchase on the station’s bulletin board.
CPPO Director Carmelo Valmoria has authorized all police chiefs and the heads of the subtask groups to distribute the subsistence allowance for the poll duties.
Whatever is left of the money should be distributed to all members of the unit equally, Valmoria said.
Accounting, please
During the May 14 polls, some police chiefs came under fire from their men who complained they did not receive their subsistence allowance.
The police chiefs reportedly did not inform them that the money was used to buy food for organized messing.
Valmoria explained that if the police chief was not given the discretion to use the money, it would appear as if he had “no trust and confidence” in them.
“But, they should make a proper accounting,” Valmoria told reporters.
Roderos said they still did not know how much will be provided for each police officer, as Camp Crame has not yet sent this to them. He believes, though, that this will be a smaller amount compared to what they received in the May 14 elections because the barangay polls end quicker.
Keep away from politics
In his speech yesterday, Roderos reminded his men to remain apolitical.
“Your mission is to make sure there will be no untoward incident. There will be no threats, no harassment and that the people can vote freely. They can freely go to the barangays and vote according to their conscience,” Roderos said.
Eight subtask groups were created for six congressional districts and two islands in Cebu Province. Each is headed by a task group commander, a deputy and investigators to assist the town and city police stations.
Though the polls are on Monday yet, they were deployed earlier so they could make final preparations and enough coordination with the chiefs of police under their subtask groups. (MEA)
