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Thursday, February 05, 2004
Editorial: On Briton’s relief
THE relief of Supt. Conrado G. Briton as Executive Director of the
Central Luzon Drug Rehabilitation Center (CLDRC), coming as it did after reports of various complaints of anomalies inside the center by parents, wards, guardians and by some drug dependents themselves, came a bit late. But then, it was a move in the right direction.
A lot of people have been prodding the Sagip-Bie Foundation Inc. (SBFI) to relieve Briton but the foundation claimed it could not act on the matter since the CLDRC Executive Director was assigned there by higher authorities of the Philippine National Police.
The matter was finally settled yesterday when PNP Chief Hermogenes Ebdane himself ordered Briton’s sacking. At this writing, we have yet to hear from Briton over his relief.
But at a time when an investigation is ongoing it is but proper that the person under probe must voluntarily go on leave. Briton, however, did not leave his post until he was finally relieved by PNP Director Jose F. Lalisan, Director for Personnel and Records Management.
In Lalisan’s letter to Mayor Benigno Espino, chairman of the Board of Trustees of CLDRC, he said that based on the investigation conducted on Jan. 10, 2004 “there is a prima facie evidence on the charges of Physical Injuries and maltreatment (which were) “filed before the City Prosecutor’s Office against PNP personnel cited in the complaint. They were transferred to Holding Group, Regional Headquarters,” the letter said.
Briton, Lalisan said, will be “subjected to administrative investigation to determine his possible liability under the Doctrine of Command Responsibility.”
While Ebdane’s move satisfies the requirement that one officer under probe should be relieved — or better yet take a voluntary leave of absence — Briton did not voluntarily give up his post at the CLDRC. Until Wednesday, he was still reported to be hanging on to his post allegedly claiming that he was relieved without an investigation.
We have a letter in our hand duly signed by Lalisan addressed to the chair of the board of trustees. We trust that the letter is genuine. And we hope that pending the conclusion of the investigation on Briton et al, he has to stop whining and submit himself peacefully the probe. This is as it should be to an officer and a gentleman.
(February 5, 2004 issue)
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