Rep. Benhur Salimbangon: Put Bogo under Comelec watch

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu fourth district Representative Benhur Salimbangon yesterday said he will request the Commission on Elections to put Bogo City under its control.

This after at least four armed men who are reportedly residents of Bogo City were arrested in Tabuelan the other day.

Salimbangon said he will also ask President Benigno Aquino III to move for the disbandment of armed men to ensure clean and peaceful elections.

“I hope and pray dili lang unta buhaton sa ato kaatbang ang malaw-ay nga buhat sa politika,” he said.

Salimbangon added that Cebu Provincial Police Office director, Sr. Supt. Patrocinio Comendador, already assured him to seriously look into the situation in the fourth district.

Provincial election supervisor Lionel Marco Castillano said he was already briefed by the Provincial Peace and Security Coordinating Center of the CPPO about the need to augment security forces.

Castillano said the arrest of the armed men was a result of the effort of the police.

“Maayo nga preemptive or preventive ato himuon,” Castillano said.

He said they would identify what places to be put under Comelec control a month before the election.

The incident

On Tuesday morning, at least four persons were arrested by the Tabuelan police when they engaged in a shootout with Kantubaon barangay captain Julito Almonacin.

Arrested were Demosthenes Bacasmas, 41; Seares Palicte, 35; Jesus Villador, 40; and Pablo Arriesgado, 32. They were reportedly residents of Barangay San Vicente, Bogo City.

Recovered from them were two .357 revolvers with 12 bullets, a .45 caliber pistol with six bullets and a KG 9 sub-machine gun with 23 bullets.

During the shootout, Bacasmas was hit in his left thigh. He was taken to the Tuburan District Hospital before he was referred to the Don Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City.

Bacasmas was a former member of the City of Bogo Anti-Criminality Task Force (CBACTAF). He was reportedly dismissed after he was found using illegal drugs a few years ago.

Almonacin admitted to have shot Bacasmas who, according to him, was the one who opened fire at him but missed.

Tabuelan Police Station chief Roberto Hugo told The FREEMAN that three weeks ago, two suspicious-looking men were seen at the barangay asking several people about Almonacin’s whereabouts.

Hugo said that during the “taboan” in the morning of October 1, four people were looking for Almonacin.

When Almonacin learned about it, he went to the site together with the barangay tanods and other civilian supporters.

During confrontation, Hugo said Bacasmas fired his firearm at Almonacin but missed, giving the barangay captain the opportunity to fire back, hitting Bacasmas in his left leg.

“Wala na sila kapalag kay gitabangan na man sila sa mga tao didto ug sa mga tanod,” Almonacin said.

Almonacin suspected that someone wanted to exact revenge on him.

“Gi-consider nako tanang anggulo lakip na ang pulitika ug personal grudge kay daghan kog napapriso nga badlongon,” he said.

Even before the incident, Almonacin said he received text messages saying he would not live long.

“Naa may nanghangyo og supporta gud unya gibalibaran nako,” he said.

In 2010, his house was strafed by unidentified person but no one was injured.

Denial

 The suspects denied the allegations.

“Dili na tinuod. Wa mi labot ana kay nanan-aw ra mi og tigbakay, unya gidakop mi sa pulis,” Villador told The FREEMAN.

Villador denied he owned the pistol, saying it was planted by the captain’s supporters.

“Dili ta akoa (pistol) gipasok ra to sa mga tao sa ako,” he said.

Villador was once detained for gun possession but was released last month after posting bail. 

Palicte also denied possessing a revolver as well as involvement in the incident.

Hugo said the suspects accused them of planting the evidence.

Hugo said that Bacasmas is currently confined at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.

The other suspects are now detained at the San Remigio stockade pending the filing of charges against them.

Comendador did not discount the possibility that the suspects were guns-for-hire or robbers.

“Possibly nga related sad ni siya sa politika unya ang kapitan ang target but it is premature to declare the area as hotspot,” Comendador said.

Comendador has ordered the police in Tabuelan and Bogo City to tighten their security.

Unabated violence

Earlier, Salimbangon called on the provincial police to look into the seemingly unabated violence in his district.

On August 27, the house of his chief security, SPO4 Jose Nonette Medrano, in Bogo City was strafed.

The legislator feared that the spate violence may have been politically motivated.

A source who refused to be named said there are actually 17 armed men who are now roaming around the mountain barangays in the fourth district. — /LPM (FREEMAN)