Palace rejects calls for Albayalde’s resignation
Credit to Author: The Manila Times| Date: Sat, 06 Apr 2019 04:42:05 +0000
Malacañang stood by Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Oscar Albayalde amid calls for his resignation following police operations in Negros Oriental that left 14 farmers dead.
Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo said the calls for Albayalde’s resignation were baseless as the police operations were legitimate.
“There is absolutely no basis in fact and in law for the PNP chief, General Oscar Albayalde, to resign,” Panelo said in a statement.
He added that Albayalde acted objectively by relieving the officers from their posts to pave the way for a thorough and impartial investigation.
Panelo made the statement after the Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives said Albayalde should step down.
Police insisted that the 14 farmers killed in Canlaon City and Manjuyod and Sta. Catalina towns were suspected communist rebels.
Some lawmakers however said the farmers were massacred.
The Palace official asked the public not to be swayed by “leftist propaganda.”
“We find it unfortunate that Karapatan and other interest groups are using the incident in Negros Oriental to sow hate and spread fear towards our duly constituted authorities,” Panelo said.
“We reiterate that the incident in Negros Oriental arose from a legitimate police operation. Authorities were implementing search warrants that were duly issued by competent courts. In separate police operations, fourteen residents died when they fought with the law enforcers who were just implementing the search orders of the local courts,” he added.
CATHERINE S. VALENTE
The post Palace rejects calls for Albayalde’s resignation appeared first on The Manila Times Online.