PRO 7 acts on complaint vs Daanbantayan police

The regional police office has acted upon the complaint raised by two residents of barangay Tinubdan, Daanbantayan against the town policemen for their alleged failure to act on their complaint against their barangay captain.

Police Senior Superintendent Augusto Marquez Jr., chief of the Regional Intelligence and Investigation Division, has directed the Provincial Intelligence and Investigation Branch of the Cebu Provincial Police Office to conduct an investigation into the case.

Marquez informed lawyer Braulio Arriola, Jr., who represents complainants Marciano Placencia and Tereso Garbo, that the PRO has acted on their complaints. PIIB has been directed to submit the results of their investigation to the PRO.

Arriola said they lauded PRO chief Silverio Alarcio Jr. for the immediate action of his office on their complaints.

However, Arriola said he hopes that the PIIB will look into the complaint religiously so the truth will prevail. "Maglaum kami nga motumaw gayud unta ang matuod ug walay pagpabor ang imbestigasyon nga himoon sa PIIB."

According to Arriola, they decided to direct their complaint to Alarcio instead of filling it before the provincial police because of possible bias on the part of CPPO director Vicente Loot.

He said those subject in the complaint were supporter of Loot's wife, Mayor Ma. Luisa Loot. Both Placencia and Garbo lodged a complaint against Tinubdan barangay captain Juanito Ybañez for alleged illegal possession of firearm, and harassment.

Ybañez accused Placencia of being a rebel, and forced Garbo to implicate Placencia as the real owner of the gun.

According to Arriola, since the complainants are under threat, they had sought assistance from the town police, but he said the local police did not act on their complaint.

And to their surprise, he said the town policemen instead filed charges for grave threats against Placencia and Garbo for allegedly threatening barangay tanod Jaime Casas and his neighbor, Nemesia Satundaga, who are reported to be political supporters of Mayor Loot.

Both Placencia and Garbo strongly denied the charges against them and questioned the move of the police.

Arriola said Mayor Loot's camp suspected that Placencia and Garbo were supporters of Augusto "Dodong" Corro, who was reported to contest Loot's leadership in Daanbantayan. - Jose P. Sollano