CEBU, Philippines - City Police Director Sr./Supt. Melvin Ramon Buenafe has ordered the recall of all tickets for a raffle draw CCPO has initiated to raise funds for its chapel.
Buenafe said he decided to recall the tickets after Cebu City South District Rep. Tomas Osmeña called him yesterday and told him the same is a form of extortion. About 1000 tickets have been ordered recalled.
“I already ordered the finance officer to recall all the raffle tickets today,” Buenafe said.
The raffle tickets are for the project dubbed as “Bayanihan sa Pasko Alay sa Tatapusing Simbahan.” Proceeds of the raffle draw are supposed to be spent for the completion of the CCPO chapel. The raffle draw was initially scheduled on December 15 in time for the CCPO Christmas Party.
Buenafe said he actually ordered the recall of the raffle tickets last Friday, but he chose to continue the project after receiving positive feedback from his men.
Buenafe clarified earlier that the buying and/or selling of the tickets is voluntary.
“I told them, especially the station commanders that if you want to push through with this raffle, talk to the Congressman,” Buenafe said.
Chief Insp. Delia Rayoso, chief of the Supply and Finance Office of CCPO, confirmed the recall as early as last Friday.
Rayoso said Buenafe ordered the recall after receiving a text message from an anonymous sender who reportedly discouraged the project for being a form of extortion.
But the police station commanders were reportedly the ones who insisted to push through with the project to complete the chapel. Likewise, those who could sell a certain number of tickets were to receive a corresponding prize.
“Ingon ang mga station commanders nga nangamot man gani ta og tag-P100 sauna na wa’y premyo, kani pa ba nga naa na. Para sa amoa lang ha, dili man tingali extortion kay para sa amoa man pud na kay para sa chapel man, nya ipauli man sad ang mga tickets kung dili mahalin. Basin na-mis-inform lang jud ang ubang pulis,” Rayoso said.
Rayoso said the chapel was constructed gradually starting last year during the term of Sr. Supt. Patrocinio Comendador.
“But anyway, ipapa-dayon man ni CD (city director) and Christmas party. Ingon siya di daw mahimong manguli ang mga pulis na walay bitbit anang adlawa. Nya ingon sad siya na ipapadayon jud ug himo ang chapel,” she said.
In a separate interview, Osmeña contended that the project is a form of extortion.
“It’s a form of extortion as far as I am concerned,” Osmena said. He said policemen should desist from engaging in any form of fund raising for and during the coming Holiday season.
Contrary to Buenafe’s claim, Osmeña said he actually received information that the policemen were allegedly forced to buy the tickets.
“I demanded for police chief to refund all the raffle tickets to be sold by policemen or I will file a complaint at the highest level,” Osmena told The Freeman in a text message. (FREEMAN)