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Saturday, January 20, 2007
Interior office 'reinstates' Tupas as guv
By Marie Katherine Villalon
ILOILO CITY -- Iloilo Governor Niel Tupas Sr. has been "reinstated" to his post based on a memorandum issued Friday by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), which served him with a dismissal order last Monday.
A memorandum issued by Local Government Undersecretary Wencilito Andanar said Tupas will "reassume as governor."
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The memorandum also ordered Vice Governor Roberto Armada, whom the DILG swore in to replace Tupas, to assume his previous post.
"Why would they say 'reassumed'? I've always been the governor," Tupas said. The memorandum was received at 4:35 p.m. Friday.
The governor and his family said they were alerted Friday to a report from a reliable source that the police were poised to raid his house for firearms that may have been used during the January 17 siege at the Provincial Capitol.
"I have no problem with the search. My problem is, what if they don't find anything and would plant evidence?" Tupas said during an interview at his Jaro residence.
The Tupases received the information about the search in the morning.
They were also informed that Iloilo Rehabilitation Center (IRC) Warden Johnny Mabugat's house would also be subjected to a search because there was an allegation that some inmates were seen at the Capitol last Wednesday.
Mabugat said what they saw could have been inmates transported to the Iloilo Hall of Justice for the hearing of their cases.
At the same time, the governor said Police Regional Office Director Geary Barias was poised to send a fact-finding team to investigate the incident at the Capitol where police broke glass windows and panels and aimed high-powered firearms at his children and supporters, including several provincial officials.
The police were serving the dismissal order on Tupas who had barricaded himself in his Capitol office.
Edgardo Doromal of the Criminal Intelligence and Detection Group central office arrived Friday to do his own probe. He's set to interview independent individuals and check the video footages that showed police poking guns at the Tupases and members of the media.
The Senate committees on public order and on local governments would also be conducting an investigation on the alleged use of "excessive force" by members of the police.
Senator Franklin Drilon, chairman of the Senate committee on public order and illegal drugs, said Liberal Party (LP) leaders in both the Senate and the House of Representatives condemned the "unnecessary raid and excessive use of force" by the PNP during the siege. Drilon is LP president.
After surviving what he said was a politically motivated and unjustified assault on the Capitol, Tupas said he would file charges against policemen involved.
Tupas, who survived the crisis after getting a temporary restraining order (TRO) from the Court of Appeals at the last minute, accused Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez Sr. of being behind the order to assault the Capitol. Gonzalez has denied the accusation.
Gonzalez, in an interview with a local TV station last Wednesday, said the police siege was a "sham" and claimed that Tupas and the police regional chief staged the assault for the benefit of the media.
LP leaders condemned the suspension and disqualification order issued against Tupas, saying it was a desperate move on the part of the Arroyo administration. (Sun.Star Iloilo/Sunnex)For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Zamboanga. (January 20, 2007 issue)
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