By Juancho Gallarde/Philippine News Agency
DUMAGUETE CITY – While Malacanang has announced the possibility of declaring Martial Law in Negros Oriental, the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Central Visayas has downplayed its imposition, saying the spate of killings in the province is “very manageable”.
Police Regional Office 7 (PRO-7) director Brig. Gen Debold Sinas, in a press conference late Thursday, said he does not want to comment on something not within his authority, but maintained that the police is “on top of the situation”.
He said cases have already been filed and persons of interests have been identified in the recent series of shooting incidents.
“Just like in any other cases outside the province, crimes are committed, that’s why the police are investigating and gathering pieces of evidence for the filing of charges in court and that is what we are doing. I don’t know why the same is being presented as a very big crisis when the situation is very manageable on the point of view of the police,” he said.
On Friday, Sinas invited members of the media to tag along for a site visitation to Canlaon City, Guihulngan City, Ayungon town, and other local government units in the south, to see for themselves if the declaration of martial law is really warranted because he has not yet heard of such clamor from the concerned local chief executives themselves.
“Seguro adunay laing tawo nga adunay lain og agenda (Perhaps there are some people with a different agenda),” he said.
While Sinas said there is nothing extraordinary in the shooting incidents in Negros Oriental, the recent spate of killings include the summary execution of the four policemen, the killing of ex-Ayungon Mayor Edsel Enardecido, the two Bayawa siblings, the killing of the barangay captains in Buenavista, Guihulngan City and Panubigan in Canlaon City, and that of Canlaon City Councilor Ramon Jalandoni.
He said the police are doing everything in responding to these situations, such as random checkpoints conducted, implementation of municipal and city ordinances, and the imposition of a curfew on minors, among others.
Three of the shooting incidents were perpetrated by riding in tandem suspects while the rest were on board vans and one suspect was on foot and so they cannot establish the pattern that these incidents are related to one another, Sinas said.
Sinas said that while the police is investigating all these cases, there is no report of massive evacuation and government services continue unhampered.
In a separate statement, PNP spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac said the declaration of martial law to ensure peace and order is included in the powers of the President.
“Under the Executive Department, the President has a wide range of options including the use of emergency powers insofar as maintenance of peace and order is concerned. It is the prerogative of the President to use any of his power provided by law,” Banac said.
Banac, however, assured that the PNP is closely monitoring the peace and order situation in Negros Oriental.
“But for the moment, the situation there is under control and all PNP units there remain on full alert and vigilant to thwart and prevent the occurrence of crimes and killings,” he added.
For the latest updates about this story, visit the Philippine News Agency website.
