DAVAO City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio defended her decision to appoint Senior Superintendent Alexander Tagum as the new Davao City Police Office (DCPO) director, saying he is the best person for the job.
Tagum, a seasoned cop, was the commanding officer who led the violent dispersal of farmers who barricaded a highway in Kidapawan City, North Catobato on April 1, 2016. Two farmers were killed, while others were wounded in the incident.
Progressive groups in Davao City are protesting Tagum's appointment as DCPO's director because of the incident.
But Duterte-Carpio said in her first media interview after her maternity leave that Tagum's involvement in the violent dispersal in Kidapawan was one of the contributing factors why she chose him to head the DCPO.
“Dunay similar nga mga panghitabo sa Davao nga mga ingon ana pud (there are a lot of similar events in Davao). I’m sure he learned a lot from that experience and from that situation. Kung nay mahitabo dinhi sa (If something happens in) Davao City, he will know what to do,” the mayor said.
She added that Tagum's track record before and after the dispersal also made her choose him for the position.
Tagum was assigned as the provincial director of Abra Police Provincial Office after his assignment in North Cotabato.
Asked for comment, Tagum said the appointment absolves him of any mistakes the people think he committed during the dispersal in Kidapawan.
"If they are sure that I orchestrated a massacre, then I believe that I will no longer be facing you in front and I will no longer be facing you today. I will already be in Bilibid prison," he told reporters after a closed-door meeting with Duterte-Carpio.
“I will respect that. Like what I am doing in the past, kami ang maghatag sa ilaha ug security, traffic management para walay mahitabong problema (We will give them security and we will manage the traffic so there will be no problem) because that is our mandate. They are also our constituent and we will protect them,” Tagum said on how he is going to react to rallies the militants have vowed to stage against him.
He added that he is very ready to “serve and protect the people of Davao.”