Cops to resolve tug-of-war over stampede cash

Pasig City Mayor Vicente Eusebio tossed to police yesterday the job of resolving a dispute over the P49,000 recovered by rescue teams from a stampede victim.

As this developed, Eusebio praised Pasig City rescue team member Candy Lacno, 41, who retrieved the cash from the pocket of one of the 74 people killed in the stampede for the anniversary show of Wowowee.

"Ang dapat nating tingnan dito ay ang honesty ng rescuer. Kasi kung hindi naman niya isinauli ang pera, wala namang pag-uusapan pa," the mayor said.

Last Monday, Eusebio returned the money to the children of stampede victim Aurora Soriano, 56, during a ceremony at the City Hall compound.

But two days later, the children of another stampede victim, Virginia Javierto, 81, showed up at the Eastern Police District (EPD) annex building along Meralco Avenue to claim the P49,000.

Rizaldy Javierto, 44, said the money returned by Eusebio actually belonged to her mother, who withdrew the cash from the Philippine Veterans Bank (PVB) at Camp Aguinaldo before proceeding to the Ultra.

The son brought along a certification from the PVB branch that her mother had withdrawn P50,000 in P1,000 bills last Feb. 3.

He said her sister, Josephine Bara, 52, died with his mother, while another sister, Estrellita Udarbe survived.

Udarbe went to SPO3 Arman Valenzuela, of the EPD Criminal Investigation Unit and showed him a pair of jogging pants, which her mother wore and where the money was kept.

When the pants were shown to Lacno, she said it was not where the money was recovered.

"Hindi raw ’yon ang pinagkunan niya ng pera. Ibang bulsa ng pantalon daw," Valenzuela said.

The police investigator has invited Soriano’s two children, Lovinsky, 36, and Shirly, 34, to appear and shed light into the controversy. As of press time yesterday, they have not showed up at the station.

The siblings earlier received the recovered cash from Eusebio, in the presence of Lacno, rescue team commander Romel Antinero as well as several policemen and mediamen.

When pressed for his reaction on the cash dispute, Eusebio said he has done his part and would rather let police resolve the matter.

"Mas magandang tingnan na lang natin ang honesty ng rescuer namin kaysa problemahin pa kung sino ang talagang dapat na nagmamay-ari ng pera," the mayor said. – Non Alquitran