Top cop sees no reason to place Nueva Ecija under Comelec Control

CABANATUAN CITY – “There is no dire need to place Nueva Ecija under ‘Comelec control.’”

Thus declared Nueva Ecija police provincial director, Senior Superintendent Allen Bantolo in contrast with the appeals to place Nueva Ecija under control made by former Nueva Ecija governor and erstwhile National Food Authority Administrator Eduardo Nonato “Edno” Joson, and elder brother Gov. Tomas N. Joson.

Nueva Ecija police provincial director, Senior Superintendent Allen Bantolo told newsmen his advantage over some 50 fellow “senior superintendent” aspirants to the post is his familiarity with the terrain and the sentiments of the local folks here.

Meeting for the first time with the local press, Bantolo said he sees no dire need to place the province under Comelec control, saying “that the political situation here appears under control and the local police are on top of it,” adding, “Compared with that in the Metro Manila area “It is generally peaceful and quiet here. I am going to like it here,” he stressed.

Former Gov. Eduardo Nonato “Edno” Joson had written to the Commission on Elections national office to place the province under Comelec control in order to counter the growing public apprehension about the uneasy conduct of the campaign and outcome of the election. This was endorsed by his brother, three-termer Gov. Tomas N. Joson III, The plea came at the heels of two incidents involving the killing of the president of the Association of Barangay Captain Augusto “Augie” Santiago and the botched up ambush-slay try on a Gapan city councilor where his security aide was killed.

In this regard, Bantolo said his post-election priority project is geared toward increasing high rate of success in the prosecution of cases, especially concerning high-profile personalities.

Vowing to “serve and protect” the people and ensure that the laws are implemented without fear or favor from any persons or groups, Bantolo also promised to conduct an in-depth investigation into the so-called “cold cases” of high-profile personalities including journalists made an issue by human rights bodies both domestic and international.

As chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group “Task Force Maverick” he had strung up a string of successful operations against organized crimes,

Bantolo appealed to the members of the police press corps, headed by Nueva Ecija Press Club president Jojo de Guzman, “to help in the peace-keeping process by not feeding rumors being peddled by some groups with the mere intention of gaining some media mileage, to the damage and detriment of the province and its people.”

He said mediamen could also help the police a lot by projecting the true picture of the more positive and sensitive aspects of crimes solved and the investigative efforts put in by the local police, without injecting unfounded observations by persons with some hidden political agenda.

As 2nd Lieutenant, Bantolo first served here as ommanding officer of the then 183rd PC company based in Gapan city in 1986, during the term of former CIDG director Eduardo Matillano, who served as provincial commander. (Magtanggol Vilar)