Jules slams Robredo,
calls findings ‘bogus’
BY CARLA GOMEZ

Rep. Julio Ledesma IV (Neg. Occ., 1st District) yesterday slammed Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo for “conflicting statements” made before members of the House of Representatives on a resolution issued by the National Police Commission suspending the police powers of Escalante Mayor Melecio Yap Jr.

The National Police Commission headed by Robredo, in a resolution dated July 15 suspended the administrative and operational control of Yap over the Escalante police station, citing numerous extra-judicial killings in the city, and his alleged close association with the New People’s Army.

Yap, who denied the allegations against him, said he had not been formally informed of the complaints, and was never given time to defend himself.

Chief Supt. Cipriano Querol, regional police director of Western Visayas, justified the relief of three policemen from the Escalante City Police Station, who used to be detailed as security escorts of Mayor Melecio Yap.

Querol, citing Napolcom memorandum circular no. 93-013, said that while prior consultation with the local chief executive concerned on personnel action is desirable and suggested, it is not mandatory but merely discretionary on the part of the PNP.

The Escalante City Sangguniang Panlungsod had earlier condemned Querol for what they called his “unreasonable, discourteous and illegal action” of re-assigning three police personnel assigned in the city to Iloilo.

The 1-United Transport Koalition is filing a petition next week against the Department of Energy and the Department of Justice before the Regional Trial Court in Bacolod City seeking the nullification of R.A. 8479, or the Oil Deregulation Law.

The petition said there is a need to declare the whole R.A. 8470 unconstitutional for its failure to define and set guidelines for the determination of a “fair price” that will set into motion the enforcement of the anti-trust provisions of the same law.

It said the regime of fair prices is primordial in R.A. 8479 but nowhere in the law was it stated what is a “fair price” leaving the public in the quandary as to its definition under the purview of the Oil Deregulation Law.