Brgy Chief faces ‘abuse’ raps

CEBU, Philippines - A barangay captain from Sogod, Cebu is facing criminal complaint for alleged abuse of authority before the provincial prosecutor’s office after she allegedly coerced the complainant not to testify in an election-related complaint.

Juana Roble, resident of Sitio Langob in Barangay Damolog, alleged that barangay captain Analisa Coloscos threatened her not to testify against Pio Montiron and Jesus Arnejo Jr. who were accused of  tearing  down the campaign poster of a certain Petronila Menchavez during the last barangay elections.

The incident happened on October 30, 2013 at the town’s police station where Roble appeared as witness in the complaint.

Roble said while waiting to be interviewed by the investigator, Coloscos allegedly arrived and asked her of what had happened. When she narrated the incident, the barangay captain reportedly threatened to get back at her.

The complainant said that Coloscos’ act of intimidating her constitutes abuse of authority. She added that Montiron also admitted that it was Coloscos who ordered them to takedown the campaign posters of Menchavez.

The complaint was originally filed with the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas. The anti-graft office, however, referred the complaint to the provincial prosecutors’ office for preliminary investigation.

Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas Pelagio Apostol said the complaint falls under the jurisdiction of the prosecutors’ office. —/FPL (FREEMAN)