Hold faith off drug warfare points, says solon

Former Napolcom Commissioner Edilberto Leonardo

MANILA, Philippines — The Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) shouldn’t be dragged into former police colonel and resigned Nationwide Police Fee commissioner Edilberto Leonardo’s actions relating to the previous administration’s drug warfare, Santa Rosa Metropolis Rep. Dan Fernandez mentioned.

Fernandez, in a press briefing on Thursday, defined that INC has nothing to do with Leonardo’s decision-making, noting that the steps taken by the previous police official was his personal initiative.

INC discovered itself in the midst of talks after former police colonel Royina Garma admitted that then-president Rodrigo Duterte requested her in Could 2016 to recruit a police operative who can lead the drug warfare on a nationwide scale, with the rewards system thought-about. 

Duterte, in keeping with Garma, wished an INC member to go the duty power as a result of they’re good with dealing with cash

This standards from Duterte, Garma mentioned, led her to her upperclassman within the Philippine Nationwide Police Academy (PNPA), Leonardo, who can be a former member of the PNP’s Felony Investigation and Detection Group.

Article continues after this commercial

“The members of the Home of Representatives ought to chorus from involving the INC within the challenge of what’s being tackled within the quad comm exactly as a result of there’s a separation of church and the state, and on the identical time, the choice made by Leonardo is in his personal volition,” Fernandez mentioned.

Article continues after this commercial

“As a result of now we have acquired information that in fact, some INC members are damage that they’re being dragged into these discussions.  Iglesia ni Cristo will not be concerned on this challenge, because the church was solely talked about when it was talked about that an INC member ought to head the duty power as a result of he is aware of the best way to deal with cash correctly,” added Fernandez in Filipino.

Fernandez appealed to his fellow members to keep away from mentioning INC in future hearings in order to not offend church members.

“It simply so occurred that the religion of Leonardo, is with INC.  However that may be very totally different from his duties as a police official.  That’s why my request to our members is to be cautious in mentioning the faith of Leonardo,” added Fernandez. 

The INC was first talked about within the hearings when Garma revealed final October 11 that Duterte instructed her that he prefers having an INC member as head of the duty power on anti-illegal drug operations, that can implement the Davao template.

The Davao template refers to a reward system the place law enforcement officials who kill drug suspects in operations are given a financial reward starting from P20,000 to as excessive as P1 million.