Friday, June 15, 2007 Mabalacat police chief relieved By Reynaldo G. Navales
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Police Regional Office (PRO) 3 Director Ismael Rafanan on Thursday ordered the relief of the Mabalacat police chief so that doubts of a whitewash in the ongoing investigation on the burning of ballot boxes at the Municipal Hall last week would be erased.
Rafanan, however, clarified that the relief of Mabalacat Police Chief Melchor Reyes is an administrative standard procedure and temporary in nature.
"This is only temporary, this is an administrative relief so as to erase doubts of a whitewash in the investigation," he stressed.
He said Chief Inspector Jovencio Flores has been designated as acting Mabalacat police chief following the relief of Reyes.
Pampanga Police Provincial Director Keith Singian had recommended the relief of Reyes following apprehensions of a whitewash in the investigation on the burnt ballot boxes.
Reyes may be reinstalled once the investigation is completed, according to Rafanan.
The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) here on Tuesday filed arson charges against Municipal Treasurer Angelito Pelayo, Municipal Chief Maintenance Jess Dungca, utility worker Rommel Sibal and three others following the burning of the ballot boxes that were placed inside a storage room situated at the back of the Municipal Hall.
Sibal has been missing for about a week now. He was reportedly identified as the one who ordered the assigned ballot guards to leave before the fire broke out on June 7.
The ballot boxes are subject of an electoral protest filed by businessman Anthony Dee who lost to reelected Mabalacat Mayor Marino Morales in the mayoralty race in the recent elections. Morales won by 750 votes against Dee.
The ballot boxes were supposedly transferred to the Angeles City Regional Trial Court last week prior to the fire incident.
Police investigators found several mosquito coils (katol) and two containers of gasoline believed to be used in burning the ballots.
Defeated Pampanga gubernatorial bet Lilia Pineda also filed an electoral protest with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) national office in Manila following allegations of cheating in Mabalacat town during the elections.
Pineda lost to Pampanga governor-elect Ed Panlilio by 1,147 votes.
