THE United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) on Wednesday accused the Liberal Party (LP) of wielding its political influence in the appointment of Chief Superintendent Marcelo Garbo Jr. as the new National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO) chief.
Garbo has assumed his position over the weekend, replacing Director Leonardo Espina, who has been appointed chief of Directorial Staff of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
As former Police Regional Office-Central Visayas director, Garbo prominently figured during the Cebu Capitol standoff in December 2012 when the Office of the President suspended then Governor Gwendolyn Garcia.
Garcia, now congresswoman of the Cebu's second district, initially planned to run for senator in the May midterm elections under the UNA coalition led by Vice President Jejomar Binay and former President-turned-Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada.
UNA Secretary General and Navotas Representative Toby Tiangco said that while Garbo may well be qualified for the top NCR police post, his appointment is seen as a political reward for his “outstanding stewardship” in connection with the Cebu standoff.
“Appointments after elections are quite commonplace. But what smells fishy here is that the Liberal Party has started dipping its fingers in the PNP which is supposed to be insulated from any political influence,” Tiangco said.
Citing the PNP Reform and Reorganization Act, Tiangco said the PNP has introduced reforms to do away with patronage politics or intervention by government officials.
“The appointment of Garbo is a jarring contradiction to the efforts being done to insulate the PNP from any political influence. What we see here is that the PNP has again become more exposed to patronage politics and unfair maneuverings by the Liberal Party,” Tiangco said.
Tiangco added that with Secretary Manuel "Mar" Roxas II at the helm of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), it cannot be discounted that the LP has an undue advantage in further politicizing strategic posts in the PNP.
“The equation in the political reward principle is simple: You do not bite the hand that feeds you,” Tiangco said.
Roxas is being pushed as the presidential candidate of the LP in the 2016 elections. He will likely run against Binay of UNA and Senator Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. of Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats. (Kathrina Alvarez/Sunnex)