Tribesmen, caretaker arrested trouble erupts at Sesbreño lot

CEBU, Philippines - Trouble erupted at the controversial lot owned by the Sesbreño family in Barangay Lawaan II, Talisay City yesterday morning resulted to the arrest of seven people.

The trouble started when members of the Datus Ali-maong Tribe started building a structure inside the lot, which was recently cleared of occupants.

This lot became controversial as the demolition of the structures in the area is deemed as the reason behind the killing of Virginia Sesbreño, wife of Atty. Raul Sesbreño the owner of the lot.

The female Sesbreño was ambushed along with two others.

The Talisay City Police arrested Alimaong members Bernardino Nipa, 44, of Barangay Guindaruhan, Minglanilla; Benjamin Aleonar, 57, of Barangay Cogon, Lorenzo Barazon Jr., 40, of Barangay Upper Cogon, Ramon Eldon Noel, 63, of Sitio Cogon, Barangay Camomot, all of Carcar City; Ricardo Plariza, 55, of Upper Ina-yawan, Cebu City; and Rissah Amahan, 37, of Barangay Lawaan II, Talisay City.

 Noel, Nipa, Aleonar, Barazon, and Plariza are reportedly Alimaong warriors.

Also arrested was SFO1 Ramiro Sesbreño, nephew of the lawyer, who allegedly tried to fire his gun.

Nephew’s claim

SFO1 Sesbreño was arrested for alleged illegal possession of firearm.

Confiscated from him was a caliber .45 pistol with eight live ammunition.

He is detained at the stockade of the nearby Minglanilla town to ensure that he would not be ganged up by the Alimaong members.

SPO1 Mikie Espina, Talisay City investigator, said Sesbreño’s firearm has a license, however, he failed to show a permit to carry.

 Residents also of the place alleged that Sesbreño fired his pistol at Efren Oros, 43, also an Alimaong member, but failed to fire.

 Ramiro denied the allegations.

 He claimed that when he arrived, Oros and his colleagues had with them a crowbar and were about to hit him.

He said that this prompted him to pull out his pistol.

The fireman also said that somebody threw a stone at him, but he could not identify who it was.

He also said that he has a permit to carry his firearm and it will be presented by his uncle when he gets back from Manila.

Alarm

 The Talisay City Police Station received a call about 9:40 in the morning asking them for assistance after Ali-maong members entered Sesbreño’s lot.

 It was a certain Mona Bas, who claimed to be the caretaker of the lot, who called the police.

 When police arrived they already saw the Alimaong members wearing their uniform and allegedly ready to resist if their construction work would be disrupted.

Supt. Eddie Recamara, Talisay City chief, said while negotiating with the Alimaong members they saw the armed Sesbreño prompted them to arrest him.

 Recamara added they asked politely the Alimaong members to go with them and discuss matters at the police station in Barangay Poblacion, but commotion started when members of the said group refused to go with them.

 “The police are there to conduct preemptive measures so as to avoid possible flare up,” the police chief said.

 Recamara further explained that what the group did was indeed illegal and their refusal to go with the police prompted the law enforcers to use “reasonable force.”

 Personnel of the PNP Special Reaction Unit (SRU) were also at the area to provide backup to the Talisay police.Atty. Sesbreño told The FREEMAN that he will file a complaint against the trespassers.

He also urged the police to release his nephew.

The lawyer said that he has two security guards stationed at the lot, but they were not able to prevent the 20 or so men, who entered the area and started building a structure there. — with Mylen Manto/NLQ (FREEMAN)