Local executives from the entire province of Maguindanao have been officially stripped of their privilege under law to appoint the police chiefs of their choice.

This developed after the National Police Commission (Napolcom) in Makati City issued a resolution, amending Section 51 of Republic Act (RA) 6975 which had deputized local officials ranging from governor to mayor as overseers of their respective police forces.

The particular provision stated under the RA 6975 or the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Act of 1990 has now been deemed non-applicable to Maguindanao by virtue of the new resolution, said Napolcom Chairman Ronaldo Puno.

Puno is concurrent DILG secretary.

Maguindanao was the site of the grisly Nov. 23 murder of 57 people who were shot to death and then hastily buried with a backhoe along with their vehicles at an impromptu gravesite in the town of Sharif Aguak.

Some 30 journalists and three female relatives of the Mangudadatu political clan were among those slain in that election-related incident.

Datu Unsay town Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. has been tagged as prime suspect, with over 100 others comprising his own “private army” serving as his henchmen. Local police officers are reportedly among the members of Ampatuan’s private army.

The Mangudadatus are political rivals of the powerful Ampatuans, who are allies of President Arroyo.

Stripped of their so-called “police powers” are the mayors of the municipalities of Ampatuan, Buluan, Datu Abdullah Sangki, Datu Paglas, Datu Piang, Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Datu Unsay, Guindulungan, Mamasapano, Pagagawan, Pagalungan, Paglat, Raha Buayan, Gen S.K. Pendatun, Sultan Sa Barongis, Sharif Aguak, South Upi, Talayan, Talitay, Datu Anggal Midtimbang, Pandang, and Mangudadatu.

According to the two-paged resolution, appointing chiefs of police in Maguindanao shall now be at the discretion of the Commission.

Napolcom Vice Chairman Eduardo Escueta said the agency will conduct proper coordination with the Philippine National Police (PNP) to ensure that those police officials installed in the province would be unbending and up to the task.

The Commission reserves the right to revoke the particular privilege of local executives, especially after dire situations such as the now infamous “Maguindanao massacre,” Escueta said.

Napolcom officials said they have long frowned at the practice of governors and mayors choosing their own police heads as this makes the men in uniform beholden to their political godfathers.

Meanwhile, seven police officials assigned in Maguindanao were recommended to be kicked out of the PNP roster for failing to respond on what is expected to them as law enforcers that could have prevented the infamous Maguindanao massacre.

Chief Superintendent Leonardo Espina, PNP spokesman, said the seven cops include Chief Inspector Sukarno Dicay, deputy provincial director of Maguindanao Police; and Inspector Rex Ariel Diongon, commander of the 1508th Provincial Mobile Group (PMG), who are both considered as key witnesses in pinning down Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr., the principal suspect in the grisly killings.

Aside from the two, also recommended by the Regional Investigation and Detective Management Division, Police Regional Office of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (RIDMD-PRO ARMM) for summary dismissal proceedings were Senior Superintendent Abusama Mundas Maguid, Officer in Charge (OIC) of the Maguindanao Police Provincial Office; Inspector Armando Sanday Mariga, Group Director (GD), 1506th PMG; Inspector Saudi Matabalao Mokamad, chief of the 1507th PMG; Senior Inspector Abdulgapor Benasing Abad, Commanding Officer, 15th PMG; and SPO2 Badawi Piang Bakal, OIC, Ampatuan Municipal Police Station.

“The Philippine National Police high command ordered summary dismissal proceedings against them for serious neglect of duty in connection with their actions before, during, and after the massacre of 57 people in Ampatuan town last November 23,” said Espina.

What further pinned down the seven cops that warranted the dismissal proceedings, Espina said, is the attempt of some of the seven cops to even cover up the abduction and the killings of the relatives and supporters, and even media workers who were supposed to cover the certificate of candidacy of Esmael Mangudadatu as governor of Maguindanao.

Quoting the result of the investigation of the RIDMD-PRO ARMM, Espina said local security officials were left in the dark in the attempt to rescue the 57-person convoy when the officials of the Maguindanao Police Office repeatedly denied that no abduction occurred on November 23.

Among those who denied the abduction were Diongon and Dicay who were present when the group of Andal Jr., composed of more than 100 armed men, abducted all the victims right in the checkpoint they were manning in Ampatuan town.

The two even told the group of Army troopers scouring the Ampatuan that the convoy did not pass through their checkpoint.

“Despite the news all over commercial radio, which turned out to be that of the abduction and mass killing of the followers and journalists accompanying the group of Buluan Vice Mayor Esmael Mangudadatu, the Maguindanao Police still insisted that ‘no such incident has transpired in their area of jurisdiction’ and even called the radio reports ‘exaggerated’,” said Espina.

“The failure of Senior Superintendent Abusama Maguid to take preventive or corrective action before, during and after the said incident made him accountable under the doctrine of command responsibility,” said Espina. (With reports from Aaron B. Recuenco and Madel R. Sabater)