Medellin mayor probed over slay

CEBU, Philippines - Medellin Mayor Ricardo Ramirez is under investigation after the police considered him a suspect in the killing of a municipal employee Monday evening.

Cebu Provincial Police Office Director Erson Digal also ordered an investigation against the members of the Medellin Police Station for their failure to report the incident to him and the personnel of the Severo Verallo Memorial Hospital in Bogo for possible obstruction of justice.

Digal tasked SPO1 Kenneth Abella from the Provincial Investigation and Detective Management Branch to look into the shooting to death of Edelberto Abao, 57, resident of Barangay Caputatan Sur, Medellin.

Abao, team leader of the “Mayor Squad”, a special team that guards the town’s public market, was shot by still unidentified person Monday night. He was brought to the district hospital in Bogo where he later died.

Reports reaching Digal however implicated Ramirez to the crime. Although, Digal admitted they have no witness to testify against the mayor.

Ramirez denied reports implicating him to the killing of Abao. According to him, the victim was already wounded when they found him at the town’s public market. The Mayor said it was even him who ordered to bring Abao to the hospital.

But despite his denial, Digal said, Ramirez will have to face an investigation to clear his name. The police urged Ramirez to submit himself to a paraffin test to determine if he fired a gun.

Digal flared up yesterday upon learning the incident through media reports. He immediately ordered an investigation against the Medellin Police for failure to submit a spot report on the incident.

“Sa kagamay sa Medellin wa kahibaw ilang hepe nga naay shooting nahitabo unya patay pa gyud ang biktima,” Digal told The FREEMAN over the phone.

Medellin Police chief Bonifacio Arriesgado explained that the incident was not immediately reported to them because Allen Setenta, who was tasked by Ramirez to report the incident to the police failed to do it.

Setenta admitted he forgot to inform the police station about the incident because he was busy attending the victim in the hospital.

The Medellin police learned about the incident only on Tuesday evening when a concerned citizen told SPO1 Orlando Batusin.

Arriesgado said they immediately inquired about the incident from the hospital in Bogo but the personnel were allegedly uncooperative.

Digal confirmed that they have to get information about the incident from other sources because the doctors and nurses of the district hospital were uncooperative. 

 “Uncooperative man gud ang doctors and nurses so we need to get information not from them,” Digal said.

This prompted Digal to include the hospital personnel in the investigation for possible cover-up and obstruction of justice.

Police Regional Office-7 deputy director for operations Sr. Supt. Louie Oppus said medical personnel are mandated under the law to inform the police of the medico legal cases.

He said that if the police station was unintentionally informed there could be a negligence of duty and if it is intentionally done there could be an obstruction of justice.

“It depends on the legal basis also but I already instructed the PD to conduct deeper investigation of the incident if there are lapses involved,” Oppus said. — Ria Mae Y. Booc and Mellanie C. Rosales/FPL (THE FREEMAN)