‘Hot car’ case vs Mandaue police chief reopened

CEBU CITY — Regional police chief Avelino Razon Jr. has ordered the reopening of the case involving the controversial release of three seized "hot" cars allegedly on orders of Mandaue City police chief Nicanor Casaclang.

"New witnesses have come out and new evidence showing deeper involvement of Casaclang was presented," Razon said.

Last April 15, Mandaue City’s police station 1 seized the three vehicles after their handlers failed to present the necessary documents.

Later, a certain Herbert Uy presented receipts from the Land Transportation Office, prompting police station 1 chief Teofilo Siclot to release the vehicles.

The new evidence includes a footage of GMA’s Balitang Bisdak where Casaclang admitted in an interview that he had ordered Siclot to release the vehicles.

Razon denied that he only had reprimanded Casaclang and that he relieved Siclot because he (Razon) feared Casaclang’s "influential benefactor."

Razon also denied that he gave prior clearance to the Mandaue City police to intercept the vehicles and that he knew about the release of the vehicles last April 17 because Regional Intelligence and Investigation Division (RIID) chief Jonathan Miano was reportedly present when the vehicles were opened last April 15.

Razon said that on April 18, he ordered Miano to investigate the seizure and release of the vehicles.

Since Miano had to go to Manila to attend a conference, RIID’s investigation chief Patrocinio Comendador took over the investigation.

The investigation then showed that there was no evidence to show that Casaclang was directly responsible for the seizure and release of the vehicles. — Freeman News Service