DOJ takes over Moreno arrest case as Manila vice mayor files raps vs 31 cops

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Justice (DOJ) yesterday took over the investigation of complaints stemming from the arrest of Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno and five councilors last Saturday for running a bingo game.

Moreno and the councilors, on the other hand, filed charges of grave misconduct and abuse of authority against a Manila Police District (MPD) precinct commander and 30 unidentified police officers with the National Police Commission (Napolcom) yesterday. 

In a text message to reporters, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said she has directed the Manila prosecutor’s office to transfer the illegal gambling complaint lodged by police against Moreno and other related cases to the DOJ.

“The Manila prosecutor’s office is inhibiting from said cases, given the volatility of the controversies involved,” she said.

De Lima issued the order upon the recommendation of Prosecutor General Claro Arellano and City Prosecutor Edward Togonon.

“We want our local prosecutors to be shielded from extreme pressures and partisan influences,” she said.

The case has become a battleground between rival candidates in the local elections, with the camp of Moreno and mayoralty candidate former President Joseph Estrada, both of the United Nationalist Alliance, earlier accusing re-electionist Mayor Alfredo Lim of the ruling Liberal Party (LP) of ordering the arrest.

De Lima is an appointee of President Aquino, who belongs to the LP and is a known ally of Mayor Lim. She was once even offered to join their senatorial slate for the May 13 polls.

Moreno and five others – Councilors Ernesto Isip Jr., Joel Chua, Ma. Asuncion Fugoso and Yul Servo Nieto as well as former councilor Manuel Zarcal – were arrested Saturday for allegedly running a bingo game even if it did not involve betting or gambling. They were released the next day for “further investigation.”

Charges

Moreno and his five partymates accused Inspector Eduardo Morata, chief of the Blumentritt, Sta. Cruz police community precinct, and 30 other police officers of forcibly stopping a bingo game held outdoors on Tambunting street for allegedly having no permit and violating the laws on street obstruction and illegal gambling.

Moreno and his five partymates filed the complaint with the Napolcom’s Inspection, Monitoring and Investigation Service, which gave Morata five days to submit his counter-affidavit before the commission starts its probe of the complaint.

Moreno said they do not have any evidence at present to file complaints against MPD Station 3 commander Superintendent Ricardo Layug and MPD director Chief Superintendent Alex Gutierrez.

Moreno also told reporters that they have yet to identify who gave the order to stop the bingo game. He also said yesterday they are not identifying Lim as the one who gave the order.

Estrada said they will also file charges of illegal arrest and physical injuries against Morata’s group with the Office of the Ombudsman. The former president added that Morata has reportedly retracted his allegation that he had punched the police officer during inquest proceedings in the fiscal’s office.

Livelier consultation

In their seven-page joint complaint-affidavit, Moreno and the councilors said prior to the disrupted bingo game, they held a barangay consultation at the compound of the Manotoc family on Tambunting street last Feb. 16.

Moreno said they decided to hold a bingo game to make the consultation livelier and to attract crowds.

He alleged that the day before the game, several police officers went from house to house, threatening to arrest those who will join the consultation and the game since bingo was considered illegal gambling under Presidential Decree 1602.

Moreno said he told Morata that there were no wagers in the game.

“It was purely done for entertainment purposes without any cost to our constituents and that the bingo cards were given for free,” he said in the complaint.

Moreno and the councilors said that as they were about to proceed with the game, Morata took the “tambiolo,” which contained the bingo chips. He said one staff member went into the houses near the venue for the game to continue, but Morata followed and took the microphone they were using, stopping the game.

Moreno said they were arrested and the crowd was dispersed with “excessive force” when they tried to continue the game. They were held for nine hours without being informed of the charges against them, Moreno said.

When they were brought to the city hall for inquest, Moreno said he and the arrested councilors were shocked to learn that Morata stated that the residents were charged P10 per bingo card and that Isip had assaulted him, tearing his uniform’s sleeves and shoulder boards.

Moreno added that Morata allegedly “maliciously planted” four P500 bills as alleged evidence of the prize money and made it appear that they were guilty of illegal gambling.

– With Sandy Araneta