Councilwoman answers criminal charges against her

CEBU – A barangay official of San Fernando town has denied the robbery, abuse of authority, trespassing and grave oral defamation charges filed against her by a resident of her barangay.

Apolonia Cano, a councilwoman of barangay Tonggo, recently filed her counter-affidavit on the complaints filed against her by Perfecto Villariasa. Villariasa has accused Cano of entering his house without a warrant.

In her counter-affidavit, Cano said she did not enter the house of Villariasa but was with the police in responding to an illegal gambling alarm in the barangay in the evening of August 24. She said no one was apprehended at that time because the gamblers escaped.

Police officers PO3 Leoncio Salubre and PO1 Miguel Bernabe also testified in Cano’s favor, saying the barangay official did not point a finger and accused Villariasa of being the barangay captain’s alleged point man of the illegal gambling activities in the barangay.

In his complaint, Villariasa alleged Cano and some policemen entered his residence that night without permission, surprising his family and friends who were in the house.

Villariasa said the act violated his family’s privacy, especially when the policemen began searching the house for gambling paraphernalia.

When asked for a search warrant, Cano instead allegedly pointed a finger at Villariasa and shouted that he was the barangay captain’s point man for illegal gambling activities in the barangay.

“The incident left me dumbfounded and in shame as there were so many people around who were within hearing distance,” Villariasa said in his affidavit.

Villariasa also accused Cano was stealing P30,000 from his wife’s wallet, which was placed inside the cabinet that Cano reportedly searched personally.

But Cano refuted the allegation, saying she could not have stolen the money because she never stepped inside the house. — Jasmin R. Uy/JMO (THE FREEMAN)