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Evangelista
retracts notes on
"lapses" of Bohol PNP
By: KIT BAGAIPO
Former
Bohol Police Director SSupt. Arturo Evangelista buckles down
from his allegations that the provincial PNP committed lapses
in the operations and arrest of the Meloy Garcia Robbery Group.
Evangelista
and present provincial PNP chief SSupt. Edgardo Ingking have
been at odds after the former made a report regarding errors
of the Bohol police in responding to the robbery at Bank of
Commerce perpetuated by the Garcia bandit group.
The
report, which was submitted to the PNP Regional Director,
caused Ingking to file administrative charges for gross misconduct
against Evangelista. The case is pending at the National Police
Commission (Napolcom) en banc.
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Evangelista,
currently the Chief of the Regional Intelligence and
Detection Management Division, has retracted the report
however.
In
a recent validation report, Evangelista said that the
Bohol PNP has "initiated efforts in fielding beat
and mobile patrol policemen in strategic areas purposely
to deter criminals and to prevent the occurrence of
[robberies]" that has victimized Boholanos.
This
statement is a complete turnaround of Evangelista's
previous evaluation where he criticized the Bohol police
for failing to field mobile patrols.
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Evangelista
stated further that "there is a well-established police
community relation" here which "resulted to the
unselfish concern of citizens to immediately report the whereabouts
of the suspects (Meloy Garcia Group), which led to their subsequent
arrests."
"The
orchestrated and positive efforts exerted both by the Bohol
Police Provincial Office and the Tagbilaran PNP in maximizing
limited manpower and material resources within the necessary
response time, were indications of synchronized police actions
through the creation of standby special reaction units specially
tasked to respond to robbery incidents and high profile cases,"
Evangelista added.
The
former Bohol police chief said the "rules of engagement
during the operations conducted have been well-followed by
the concerned superior offices."
According
to Evangelista, "doubts and lapses which were beforehand
observed were unfounded."
He
added that the personnel involved in responding to the Bank
of Commerce robbery and the operation which led to their arrest
were "deserving" to be awarded.
It
may be recalled that Ingking filed an administrative complaint
against Evangelista last year which was found meritorious
by the Napolcom-7 and endorsed for resolution by the commission
en banc.
Ingking
had said that only a public apology could make him withdraw
his charges against his immediate predecessor which "harmed
the image of the Bohol PNP."
In
an interview with the Chronicle yesterday, Ingking refused
to categorically state whether he is withdrawing the case
saying it is now in the hands of the Napolcom en banc.
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