Moalboal barangay captain survives slay try

The trouble in the town of Moalboal seems to have taken another twist after what was believed to be an attempt on the life of Saavedra barangay captain Virgilio Sabanate over the weekend at his residence in a mountain barangay of Cebu City.

Cebu Provincial Police Office director Vicente Loot believes that the shooting incident last Saturday night was related to the land dispute in Moalboal since the barangay captain has no known enemies.

Sabanate, who was at his residence in Barangay Tigbao, Talamban, claimed that two gunshots were fired, but missed him. He reported to the Talamban police station that while he was sitting at the driver's seat of his car, which was parked, one of the suspects, who was behind the vehicle, tried to shoot him twice using a 9 mm pistol.

Sabanate was however lucky since the gunman missed him and instead hit the side mirror. He said that he immediately crawled out of his vehicle hearing the shots.

Witnesses said that the suspect immediately boarded a waiting motorcycle driven by another man, who also served as look out. The two men fled towards Barangay Bacayan.

Sabanate, in an interview yesterday said that he believed that the attempt to kill him has something to do with his being barangay captain of Saavedra, Moalboal town. He added that he could not remember getting involved with any fight, which could lead somebody to shoot him.

Sabanate said that he could positively identify the perpetrators, because prior to the incident he was able to talk with one of the suspect, who inquired if he had a room for rent in his house.

The barangay captain said that he turned the man and his companion since they looked suspicious.

Trouble started to brew in Barangay Saavedra, where Sabanate is the chairman, three years ago when Tri -Island Holdings Inc., a company based in Manila, came forward to claim a huge parcel of land, which was already occupied by many people. The company claims to own 70 percent of the total land area of the barangay.

In order to enforce their ownership of the property, the company hired Grandeur Security Agency to station guards in the disputed area and fence the lots that they have identified to be owned by Tri-Island Holdings. Residents of the place resented the move of Tri-Island Holdings and just last month, the tension in the area was heightened when guards from Grandeur Security Agency reportedly attacked residents of Moalboal resulting to several injuries.

As a result, 29 guards of Grandeur Security Agency together with six other employees plus the caretaker of the Moalboal property, a lawyer, and two retired militarymen were charged with multiple frustrated murder and direct assault.

Loot in a press conference yesterday said that he has assigned policemen to secure Sabanate and to look for those, who tried to kill him. Loot said that he will be meeting with the Granduer Security Agency heads this Friday to discuss this attempt on the life of Sabanate.

The municipal government of Moalboal has already revoked the permit of Grandeur Security Agency to operate in the town after they have been accused of harassment by the residents of barangay Saavedra and have been tagged responsible for the violence last month.

The property claimed by Tri-Island Holdings Inc. does not only cover Barangay Saavedra, but also Tuble and Basdiot. The municipality revoked the permit of the security agency saying that it failed to comply with the law requiring agencies that are operating outside of their main offices to establish a branch in the place if it posts more than 30 guards in a particular area. It was found out that the agency stationed 34 guards in the properties claimed by Tri-Island aside from those assigned in other companies in Cebu, who are also their clients. The fact that Tri-Island is also no longer registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) does not also give it a legal personality to transact business with the security agency.