Masbate police commander asked to be relieved due to series of violence in the province

By Ronron
April 3, 2007

Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Gen. Oscar Calderon has asked the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to relieve Supt. Teodoro Caparroso as commander of the Masbate Police Provincial Office due to a series of violent incidents in the province.

In a statement, Calderon said he has recommended that Sr. Supt. Edgar Layon take over the position of Caparroso.

“I have already warned my commanders in Police Regional Office 5 that I will hold them responsible should violent incidents continue in their respective area of responsibility. I have directed them to establish effective counter measures to put an end to this escalating violence or face administrative sanctions or relief,” Calderon said.

PNP spokesman Chief Supt. Samuel Pagdilao, Jr. said what sparked the relief of Caparroso is the ambush last Sunday of two supporters of a mayoralty candidate in the province. The victims, who were shot in Placer town, died in the incident.

Prior to that, Pagdilao said there was also an ambush incident against two supporters of San Jacinto town Mayor Leny Arcenas. The two victims also died.

“Despite the warning, violence continued in Masbate, thus leaving (me) no other recourse but to recommend the replacement of the provincial director with a more experienced and competent commander,” Calderon said.

Pagdilao said a company-size troops of the police Special Action Force (SAF) was already deployed in the province “to carry out aggressive action to crack down partisan armed groups (PAGS) suspected to be responsible for the election related violence.”

“The SAF company was given order to immediately fan out to the 21 towns of Masbate to hunt down PAGS and to ensure that the presence of the PNP will be felt seriously,” Pagdilao said.

Yesterday morning, elements of the SAF encountered suspected New People’s Army (NPA) members at 6am in Barangay Lahong, Baleno town, the Philippine Army reported.

A platoon of the Philippine Army’s 2nd Infantry Battalion (IB) reinforced the SAF team and found two wounded SAF members and another one killed, said Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Southern Luzon Command spokesman Lt. Col. Rhoderick Parayno.

But police recovered three M16 rifles, an M79 grenade launcher, several ammunition and subversive document abandoned by the suspected rebels.


The NPA also attacked the Filmenera Company, a construction firm, in Barangay Puro, Aroroy town at around 7:10 am yesterday.

Philippine Army spokesman Lt. Col. Ernesto Torres, Jr. said around 60 suspected communist guerillas burned five buildings and two heavy equipments (a backhoe and a grader) of the private firm.

Members of the 2nd IB who also responded to the site found improvised landmines, grenades without pins, and 12 molotov bombs on the way to the company.

Parayno said that while one of the grenade was being disposed of, it exploded, slightly grazing the neck of one soldier.

At Camp Crame, PNP Deputy chief for Administration Dep. Dir. Gen. Avelino Razon, Jr. called the NPA as the biggest partisan armed group for its extortion activities like permit-to-campaign, and permit-to-win fees.

“Gen. Calderon directed Deputy Director General Antonio Billones (National Task Force HOPE Commander) to initiate and supervise several dialogues between and among political rivals for the purpose of forging peace covenants in coordination with the church and the Commission on Elections and to adopt effective measures to ensure that rival politicians will honor the peace accord,” Pagdilao said.

The PNP is under the Comelec control for the entire election period from January 14 until June 13, 2007./DMS