Comelec recommends relief from posts of 3 PNP-BARMM officials
MANILA, Philippines—The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has recommended that three Philippine National Police (PNP) officers from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) be removed from their posts.
Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia on Tuesday said that Comelec Gun Ban and Security Concerns Committee Chairperson Commissioner Aimee Ferolino made the request.
The Comelec en banc then adopted the request during its session on Tuesday.
“Base sa assessment ng committee, mukhang kakailanganin na magkaroon ng palitan. Maaari kasing hindi nakukuha ng committee yung gano’ng klase ng full cooperation, hindi nakukuha mismo ng committee yung expected output sa kilos ng opisyal ng Philippine National Police sa area,” Garcia told reporters.
(Based on the committee’s assessment, posts need to be changed. The committee might not have gotten the full cooperation and expected outputs from the officials of the Philippine National Police in the area.)
Ferolino formally requested PNP Chief Police General Rommel Marbil to have the following officials removed from their posts:
- PBGen. Romeo Macapaz (Police Regional Director, Police Regional Office – Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR))
- PCol. Eleuterio Ricardo Jr. (Police Provincial Director, Maguindanao del Norte)
- PCol. Ryan Bobby Paloma (Police Provincial Director, Maguindanao del Sur)
READ: Maguindanao poll exec, husband slain in ambush
“This request is due to their continued failure to act promptly on urgent security detail requests from our field personnel, including the request made by Election Officer (EO) Maceda L. Abo as early as 8 January 2025. Despite persistent follow-ups from our EOS and repeated appeals from the Provincial Election Supervisors (PES) of Maguindanao during R/PJSCC meetings, no appropriate action was taken,” Ferolino said in a referendum shared with the media.
Abo and her husband were killed in an ambush in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao. This prompted the Comelec to place the area under its control.
“I cannot allow another field officer or employee to suffer harm-or worse, lose their life- because of the gross negligence and incompetence of those entrusted with their protection,” the referendum added.
In the same referendum, Ferolino requested that the PNP conduct a nationwide Risk and Threat Assessment for all election officials and personnel “to serve as the basis for assigning security during the performance of their duties and to proactively prevent shootings and other acts of violence.”
READ: Comelec puts Buluan, Maguindanao del Sur under its control
Ferolino noted that while a comprehensive report was requested, the PRO-BAR failed to submit the corresponding report.
Meanwhile, Buluan in Maguindanao del Sur was placed under Comelec control on Tuesday after the poll body observed an increase in election-related violence in the area.
