City to offer legal assistance to cop

PO1 Roy Carlo Veloso found and ally in Cebu City mayor Tomas Osmeña, who promised to give him legal assistance if the family of Dave Esbra, who was shot dead last Sunday, would press charges against the policeman.

The mayor said that the city government always gives assistance when a city policeman gets into trouble. Osmeña further said that he believes Veloso was just doing his job.

"If a policeman hesitates to perform his job because he is afraid that he will be sued later, then no policeman will do his job right," the mayor said during his regular press conference at the City Hall yesterday.

Veloso reportedly shot suspected big-time drug pusher Esbra, who sustained 13 gunshot wounds after resisting arrest in barangay Luz.

The relatives of Esbra are contemplating on pressing charges against the policeman, believing that the shooting to death was beyond what was necessary.

"It is a silly comment that the victim is 'overkilled.' Once the person is dead, he is already dead. I am giving him (Veloso) the benefit of doubt," the mayor said.

Osmeña however said that although the city will give legal assistance for policemen in trouble, it does not follow that every policeman can avail of such. This will be done on a case-to-case basis.

Osmeña said that he is aware many policemen hate him as he continues to crackdown on the incompetent ones aside from ridding the city of those who perform their duties below what is expected of them.

The mayor earlier stripped the P1,000 per month allowance of 38 policemen after they failed to undergo shooting training and at the same time recommended for their immediate transfer outside Cebu City.

Meanwhile, acting City Police director Melvin Gayotin yesterday welcomed the entry of other agencies that would look into the killing of Esbra.

Gayotin said it is better that another agency would investigate so that suspicions of whitewash would be avoided aside from the fact that it "is not good to look at that I am investigating my own investigators."

A TV Patrol-Cebu report yesterday revealed that National Bureau of Investigation medico legal officer Gil Macato said that Esbra also sustained stab wounds.

How or where the victim got these stab wounds remain a mystery because according to CIIB Chief Paul Labra, he did not see any of these wounds when he personally brought the victim to Cebu City Medical Center immediately after the incident.

Initial investigation revealed that Esbra was seen trying to throw away a plastic bag that contained 11 sachets of shabu when he met Veloso, which prompted the policeman to immediately handcuff him.

However Esbra reportedly resisted so that only one hand was handcuffed and then he ran away prompting Veloso and civilian driver Nike Pelaez to give chase.

When he was collared, Esbra reportedly pulled a .45 cal pistol and he grappled for the gun with Veloso, who was later overpowered and fell on the ground.

It was at this junction when Veloso shot Esbra with his 9mm pistol several times sensing that his life was in danger.

But the family of the victim had another version. They said that the gun and the shabu were planted and that Esbra was already handcuffed and raised his arms in apparent surrender, when shot.

The family of Esbra sought the help of the NBI-7 to look into their allegations.

Homicide Chief Mario Monilar said they are willing to turn over the evidence recovered to the NBI-7 if asked to do so. Monilar however said that he will continue with his own investigation. - Mitchelle P. Calipayan and Ryan P. Borinaga