Tsunami scare suspect pleads not guilty

CEBU, Philippines - The radio blocktimer accused of triggering the tsunami scare in Cebu City last February 6 pleaded not guilty to the crime charged.

Danilo Cogtas, assisted by his counsel, denied the charges filed against him before Judge Anatalio Necesario of the Municipal Trial Court in Cities (MTCC) Branch 2. Cogtas was indicted for violation of Article 153 of the Revised Penal Code or tumults and other disturbance of public order.

In an interview, Cogtas said the case filed against him was merely to ruin his reputation.

“This is a hoax (referring to the case) with no other intention other than ruining my reputation,” he said in Cebuano.

Cogtas likewise belied the allegation of the witnesses that he used a megaphone in spreading that a tsunami was coming. He added that he never went to

Colon and Lahug to scare the people.

Atty. Ruphel Bañoc told the media that they will be presenting the accused as one of their witnesses and the people from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

“It was a government agency, the Phivolcs that issued a statement that there was a tsunami alert number 2 and it was not explained what tsunami alert number two means. That was the reason for the scare,” he said.

He added they will maintain their position that his client is innocent. 

“It was the Phivolcs that issued the statement in Cebu Province and the neighboring places,” he said.

Based on the accounts of witnesses Ryan Pedrosa and Roldan Espina, both motorcycle drivers, at 2:00 p.m. while they were waiting for passengers in Barangay Lahug they saw people running and heading to Barangay Busay, a higher ground, saying a tsunami was coming.

Because of curiosity, the witnesses boarded their motorcycles and headed to the Pasil fish port where the alleged tsunami started.

The witnesses said that before they could reach the coastline, they saw a man on a motorcycle shouting at the people that a tsunami was coming. They described the man as a media man and pointed to Cogtas.

Cogtas was invited by the police for questioning. Thereafter, the police filed a case against him. The pre-trial of the case is set on February 6, 2013.

The tsunami scare came after the 6.9 magnitude earthquake that hit Cebu. – (FREEMAN)