[CheongStar2000]

Monday, February 04, 2008
Pan hit for relief of Angeles cop
By Dante M. Fabian

ANGELES City Mayor Francis Nepomuceno recently censured Central Luzon Police Director Errol Pan for "unceremoniously" relieving a police superintendent from his assignment at the Angeles City Police Office (Acpo).

Ramos, a native of Bulacan has figured in battles with organized crime groups in the region. He was deputy city director for administration and concurrent chief of Station 4, which covers the tourist belt here when Pan relieved him.

Sources said Ramos was removed in connection with the "clamp down on alleged prostitution in the city."

A few days before his relief, he implemented an operation where about 47 people were charged for prostitution.

Local bar managers here belied the accusations of prostitution, saying employees go out with men only upon their own will and not for sex.

Nepomuceno declared Pan's relief of Ramos as "deplorable".

Ramos figured in a controversy that stemmed from announcements to business establishments that Angeles City is the source of Aids in the Philippines.

"This is in connection with information received by our office coming from the International Concerned Community regarding the issue that Angeles City is the source of Aids in the Country," Ramos said at the opening portion of the letter distributed to businessmen earlier.

Ramos said due to this report, the police have decided to conduct a campaign against prostitution in the city.

Managers in various entertainment establishments here said that since the reports came out, business has slowed down significantly and has placed them in a worse situation.

This was met by strong protests from businessmen in the tourism industry as they said this "Aids scare" would discourage tourists from coming to the city. They said the damage resulting from the announcement has caused irreversible losses.

As this developed, a group of new employees at city hall were accused of "hostaging" the licenses of entertainment workers here in their alleged continued attempt to collect P1,500 monthly from each of the about 5,000 entertainment workers.

"Mamasans" told Sun.Star Pampanga that the office of Nicolas Tolentino, sanitation officer, could not release the licenses since some men reportedly calling themselves as the "Jojo group" came to haul the licenses.

The men reportedly planned to deliver the licenses to the bars in order to collect the money from the bargirls.

According to mamasans, the "Jojo group" has lowered the "fee" last Wednesday to P500 and last Thursday the amount was down to P150.