SP Urges Chan to Step Down as PNP Provincial Chief

Lingayen --- The provincial board led by Acting Vice Governor Jeremy Agerico Rosario has urged Police Senior Superintendent (PSSupt) Marlou Chan “to voluntarily step down as Police Provincial Director of Pangasinan.”

          In asking Chan to relinquish his post, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) in regular session passed SP Resolution No. 1856-2013 on June 3 in support of a complaint filed by Governor Amado T. Espino Jr. before the Regional Trial Court (RTC), here.

          The complaint docketed as civil case no. 19270 sought the nullification of Chan’s designation as provincial police director.

The first hearing of the civil case handled by Acting Judge Caridad Villegas Galvez of Regional Trial Court Branch 69 was reset to June 6, Thursday, after Chan asked the court for representations from the office of the Solicitor General to attend the trial.

          The complaint stated that Chan’s designation violated relevant laws and implementing rules of the Philippine National Police (PNP), the National Police Commission and the Commission on Elections (ComElec).

Earlier, local leaders accused Chan of inefficiency and partisanship in support of local candidates of the Liberal Party during the recent May 13 elections.

          Author of said resolution, 6^th District Board Member Alfonso Bince Jr., said, “the overwhelming reelection of Gov. Espino who won over his opponent with more than 500,000 margin of votes is translated to Vox Populi Vox Dei (the voice of the people is the voice of God).”

          Bince added: “It is likewise the sense of SP that PSSupt. Chan must heed and respect this mandate and now peacefully and voluntarily step down as provincial director.”

          Saying that PSSupt. Chan must exercise “a bit of delicadeza,” the board member said “the voluntary step down of Chan will maintain peace and harmony between the chief executive of the province and the PNP provincial office”.

          Bince, who has served the provincial board for more than 25 years and worked with 7 Governors, manifested that, “never in the history of the provincial government that there is an irreconcilable conflict between the provincial governor and the chief of provincial police.”

He recalled that even during the martial law administration of Pres. Marcos, police and civilian authorities exercised mutual cooperation and support “in other words, their relationship was then cordial and peaceful unlike today,” Bince said.

To end the agony and animosity, he said that urging Chan to step down voluntarily is a diplomatic way of expressing courtesy while waiting for the result of the complaint.

Provincial Legal Officer Geraldine Baniqued said the camp of Gov. Espino has “full trust and confidence that the case will be resolved by the court in a most judicious manner.” (PIO/Mark Gerry Naval Oblanca)