Prov’l fiscal drops poll raps vs Daanbantayan officials

The Cebu Provincial Prosecutors’ Office has dismissed six election-related charges filed against Daanbantayan’s elected Vice Mayor Maria Luisa Loot, a police officer and a member of the Barangay Intelligence Network.

Provincial prosecutor Pepita Jane Petralba, citing insufficiency of evidences, exonerated Loot, SPO3 Jose Dupay and BIN member Riel Recla of the poll charges, such as grave threats and coercion, and qualified trespass.

Petralba approved assistant provincial prosecutor Luis Calderon’s recommendation for the dismissal of the charges giving the respondents the presumption of regularity.

The charges were filed by defeated mayoralty candidate Augusto Corro at the instance of his three supporters who were allegedly harassed and threatened by the respondents sometimes in April.

Corro alleged that Loot, Dupay and Recla committed terroristic acts, intimidation, and carried guns outside their residence in violation of the Omnibus Election Code.

Three of Corro’s supporters, Rogelio Punay, Ruben Pepito and Victor Pepito alleged that they were harassed by the group of Dupay and Recla in the evening of April 29 while they were resting, after a political rally, in barangay Tapilon.

Recla, a body guard of Loot’s son Mayor Sun Shimura, allegedly pointed a gun at Ruben Pepito while being held against the ground.

Loot was not in the scene at the time but she was also charged as an accomplice because it was her vehicle that Recla and Dupay used. Loot denied the charges saying her vehicle was used by her campaigners.

In his defense, Dupay said they were responding to a Tapilon resident’s request for help regarding an armed person there. He said that when they arrived at the area, the group of Corro scampered so they have to chase the group up to the house of Ruben Pepito.

Dupay said it was a legitimate operation, which was recorded in the police blotter, and which the prosecutor gave more credence.

Loot questioned the jurisdiction of the provincial prosecutor over the case but this matter was dismissed however.

Calderon contended that the chief state prosecutor, the provincial prosecutor and the city prosecutor enjoy the continuous deputization by the Commission on Elections and may conduct preliminary investigation and prosecute election-related offenses. —Fred P. Languido/RAE