Gwen to Tining: Take polygraph

Governor Gwen Garcia yesterday said she is challenging Bogo Mayor Celestino "Tining" Martinez to take a polygraph, along with the arrested suspects, to determine if he is innocent to the allegations linking him to the P9.4-million Land Bank heist in his town last August 2.

Martinez should be more than willing to take the challenge because if he is really innocent then he would certainly pass the polygraph, Garcia said, adding that he should not be making counter claims that such accusations were part of a political smear campaign.

Martinez raised the political angle when he denied robbery suspect Dindo Ancero's accusations the other day that he was the alleged brain and financier of the heist. The mayor said, "I hate to think this will reach the point of politics," as he described it as "below the belt, underhanded and crazy."

Martinez said this could be a job to discredit him because of his family plans to field him for a congressional seat in the 2007 polls as his mother, Rep. Clavel, is no longer illegible for reelection.

"Ngano ing-ana man nga hugaw kaayo ang pamaagi, ingon ana na lang kasayon nga pasanginlan ta (Why the dirty ways; that easy to accuse me)," Martinez lamented. "This is a demolition job against our family," he said.

Martinez also called on Cebu Provincial Police acting director, Supt. Vicente Loot, to inhibit from the case to rid it of political undertones because Loot is the husband of Daanbantayan Mayor Maria Luisa, an ally of the governor and a probable contender against Martinez.

Garcia dismissed this calls saying Martinez should just answer the charge instead of dragging politics to it. But Martinez said he did not know Ancero and denied that the alleged leader of the robbery group, Joel Somabong, was his close-in bodyguard. Somabong is still at-large while Ancero, Isagani Chico and Albores were arrested in Kawayan, Masbate last Tuesday. They were sent to Cebu the other day and C/Insp. Juanito Enguerra, chief of the Provincial Special Operation's Group, said they are temporarily detained at the Lapu-Lapu City Jail.

Ancero the other day tagged Martinez as the alleged mastermind of the heist but he later retracted. It came as a surprise to reporters but he clarified that he did the tag because he was afraid of earlier reports that the mayor had put up a P1-million bounty to have him executed.

Ancero's counsel Salvador Solima confirmed his client's statement adding that Ancero merely said Martinez gave them food and money for the services they rendered to the mayor during the last elections.

In a police line-up yesterday at the Bogo Police Station, witnesses have positively identified Chico as among the robbers. Although Alborez was not identified, still he was detained after the PSOG received a faxed arrest warrant for a murder case in Kanlaon City, said Enguerra.

Enguerra said the police is continuing its manhunt operations to catch Somabong, whose probable whereabouts were being confirmed. He will surrender soon, said the police official.

Bogo Police chief, Insp. Arturo Pacifico, also vowed to get Somabong. He got dismayed that Ancero implicated the town mayor to the robbery because, all through the course of the police investigation, Martinez name never came out.

Pacifico said only the names of Joseph Ancajas, a former military and the brother of one of the suspects Henry Cuerda, have appeared in their investigation. Cuerda's brother was later found not involved also.

He also said that Somabong, with six unsolved murder cases in Bogo town, might have dragged Martinez's name to entice recruits to his planned robbery.