Tubod, Sibonga brgy leaders charged

CEBU, Philippines - For allegedly destroying an uncompleted barbed wire fence and uprooting a number of coconut seedlings planted, the barangay officials of Tubod, Sibonga are facing a complaint before the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office.

 In her complaint-affidavit, Ingrid Hilario of Sitio Dumlog, Simala, Sibonga, Cebu stated respondents intimidated her by preventing her from constructing the fence.

Named respondents were Barangay Captain Magdalena Maravillas, Barangay Councilors Celso Maravillas, Gomer Ricaborda, Noel Olivar and Fredie Abellon, Barangay Tanods Loreto Decierdo, Rogelio Revilla, Demosthenes Sarita and Arnold Abellon and private respondent Samuel Enad.

Hilario was a court appointed administrator of the intestate estates of the deceased Antonio Belloc and Dolores Retiza which include Lot No. 5373 declared for taxation purposes. The said lot is now under the name of Thelma Varian who is married to Santiago Miranda.

 “That with the use or by means of violence and intimidation, as aforestated, the above-named barangay officials prevented me from constructing a fence to enclose Lot No. 5373,” she said.

She claimed that the respondents helped each other to commit the crime as charged on May 2, 2012.

 “They rolled the barbed-wire, loaded the same unto the barangay motor vehicle and brought the same to the premises of Barangay Tubod, in Sibonga. But before leaving the scene, they were treated to snacks by a certain Samuel Enad, whose connivance and conspiracy in the offense charged will be hereafter shown,” the complaint-affidavit reads.

Hilario said she reported the incident to the Sibo-nga Police Station on May 4, 2012.

 On May 6, 2012 she went to the Barangay Hall in Tubod together with her witness to file a complaint against the respondents to comply with the “legal requirements” before a conciliation would be made before the Lupon ng Tagapamayapa.

 A few days after, she said she returned to the Barangay Hall to follow up the complaint she filed and to get a certification to file action which was a requirement for filing complaint before the Prosecutor’s Office, but the barangay captain and the councilors refused to issue.

 “They refused to issue a certification to file action, for a reason that it would be ridiculous and unnecessary in view of the fact that they were the persons complained against,” the complaint-affidavit further reads.

 Moreover, Hilario said she learned that her complaint filed was not docketed by the barangay secretary.

 The case stemmed after Hilario hired several residents of Barangay Tubod to construct a barbed-wire fence to enclose the Lot No. 5373 and to plant coconut seedlings along its borders. (FREEMAN)