By Mataeliga Pio Sioa
The Deputy Commissioner of Police, Auapaau Logoitino Filipo, would only admit that as law enforcers, the political events of last week was the worst experience ever for them in their line of duty.
What he would not say is the police were in unchartered territory of law enforcement with the country politically divided.
By law the police takes their instructions from the Government of the Day, which is the ruling FAST political party.
The orders last Tuesday and Wednesday were to keep the elected members of the opposition Human Rights Protection Party away from entering Parliament House.
The general public was also not to be allowed onto the Tiafau Malae, to prevent the HRPP supporters from gathering.
Deputy Commissioner Auapaau admitted it was a political matter but the law is on the side of the Speaker who issued the orders for the police to uphold.
“This is the first time I’m aware of that we as police officers are placed in this kind of very challenging situation,” Auapaau conceded when asked by Newsline Samoa.
“Our focus for the whole week was to work through our culture of understanding and respecting the roles and responsibilities we all have to overcome any cause of conflicts.”
The deputy Commissioner defended the use of riot shields and other crowd control gears by the police seen as a threatening gesture from the other side.
He said these items were in line with legal requirements in the performance of police duties but the full emphasis was on the influence of the culture to smooth out any problems.
Emotions, however, were stretched thin when the police were criticised for taking on a hardline stand against the opposition party members on the second day of the standoff.
The change of temperament was more serious than when the opposition leaders were held up by two steel barricades across the main road at Mulinu’u, several hundred meters from Parliament Building.
On their second attempt they went as far as the Parliament building before they were stopped by the heavy presence of the police.
“Police were everywhere you turn and will not let us through or make it possible for us to call out the Speaker to explain where were are with our swearing-in.” HRPP leader Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi complained.
The Head of State and the Member of the Council of Deputies turned up separately with His Highness escorted into Parliament.
Church leaders representing the national council of churches were also restricted from continuing beyond the police.
The culture did play out by both sides with the HRPP leaders decision to keep the peace and to return to party headquarters at the Maota i Petesa.
The Supreme Court ruling on Thursday granting access for the opposition members to enter Parliament and be sworn-in, was heartily welcomed by deputy Commissioner Auapaau and the HRPP members.
“I’m truly grateful that we were able to prevent any conflict during this difficult period that is looking very promising now that everything seems to be working out after the swearing-in,” added the deputy Commissioner.
More than 100 police officers were deployed around the Tiafau Malae and the Parliament Building throughout the week.
No arrests were reported.