Babag II brgy. chief denies accusations of Lapu top cop

The barangay captain of Babag II in Lapu-Lapu City yesterday denied the allegations hurled against him by the city's police chief Louie Oppus.

Barangay captain Elias Berdin, in his five-page counter-affidavit, stated that the accusations made by Oppus are baseless, unfounded, unfair and unjust, grossly exaggerated and irresponsible.

Two months ago, Oppus formally lodged an administrative complaint against Berdin before the Sangguniang Panglunsod of Lapu-Lapu City.

Oppus accused Berdin of violating the Constitution, gross negligence and dereliction of duty. In his two-page complaint, Oppus said that Berdin failed to ensure the delivery of basic services for health and social welfare services and failed to promote the general welfare of the barangay.

Oppus said that on December 19, 2005 at Purok Rambo of the same barangay, a firecracker explosion occurred which resulted to the death of a certain Marjun Baquio. He claimed that Berdin never assisted the victim nor organized or led an emergency group to attend to the incident.

Berdin, however, denied this and said that a barangay official was even present when the incident happened and assisted the victim.

"Oppus is ignorant of the efforts we are undertaking in our barangay to ensure, preserve and maintain the peace and order in our community and of our efforts to curtail and curb illegal activities such as the proliferation of illegal drugs," Berdin added in his counter-affidavit.

Berdin further said that the accusations of Oppus that he failed to enforce the law regulating the storage, selling and display of firecrackers and other pyrotechnic products is highly unfair and unfounded. - Mitchelle P. Calipayan