Friday, February 10, 2006
Arroyo cracks whip at 'erring' cops in Pagadian
PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has ordered an investigation and reorganization of the military and the police detailed in Pagadian ciity, if needed, following reports of their alleged involvement in illegal activities and operations of some criminal syndicates.
Arroyo, during an interaction with members of the media at the Natalia Hall of the Camila Hotel in Pagadian City, also ordered police to speed up its investigations on the killings of journalists and ensure that the victims and their families would receive justice.
"We need to overcome and put an end to the killings of journalists," she said as she appealed to journalists to report immediately to the Philippine National Police (PNP) or the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) all kinds of threat against them so that appropriate action is taken immediately to ensure their safety.
She pointed out that the PNP's Task Force Newsmen was created specifically to protect members of the media against threats to their person.
Arroyo said the AFP's Inspector General and PNP's internal affairs would looking into reports of involvement of some members of uniformed service in criminal activities, including the possible threat they posed against the media and some witnesses.
"If you fear whom to trust, I'm bringing here the head of the internal affairs of the police and inspector general of military so they can do a top-to-bottom fact-finding or investigation of whole organization here," she said.
Task Force Newsmen chief Pedro Tango assured the President that the PNP is more than willing to assist all journalists whose lives may be threatened once the threat is reported to them.
"The mission of Task Force Newsmen is to provide assistance to the territorial units of the PNP. We are also exerting efforts to reach out to the different media groups to encourage them to open up and trust the police," said Tango who assured journalists that the police will do everything in their power to address their "apprehensions concerning their security."
"We will provide them with security details and other means of making them confident in the pursuit of their careers," he added.
Arroyo, during the visit to Pagadian City, also ordered the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), to release immediately P500 million for various road projects in the country, including P100 million or one-fifth of the entire amount, to fund the completion of the long delayed Zamboanga-Pagadian national road project.
She said the allocation would come from the administration's P35 billion outlay to pump-prime the economy. She said the funding was made possible because of renewed investor confidence in the country, stability of the economy, good governance and tax reforms, particularly the Expanded Value Added Tax (e-VAT) Law.
She also acknowledged the investment rating of the country from consultancy firm Calpers (California Public Employees' Retirement System), which she said, was a contributing factor to the improved economy. (JMR/Sunnex)
(February 10, 2006 issue)
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