Cebu mayoral bet blamed for cop chief’s slay

CEBU — A mayoral aspirant in Madridejos town has been accused of masterminding Tuesday’s killing of the local police chief.

But the mayoral candidate, Doroteo Salazar, has denied having a hand in the killing of Arsenio Escarda who was shot by M/Sgt. Mario Benito at close range with an M-16 rifle in front of local folk.

Benito is now being detained on murder charges.

Escarda’s widow Zosima made the accusations yesterday. While the police immediately eyed personal grudge behind the shooting, Escarda’s widow Zosima thinks otherwise, saying Salazar could have masterminded it.

Mayor Letty Mancio said it was impossible for Escarda to have a personal grudge against Benito because the Army man was in Madridejos only to ensure the peaceful conduct of the elections.

Contrary to earlier reports that Benito was not part of the troops detailed in Madridejos, the Armed Forces’ Central Command said Benito was, indeed, part of the augmentation team on detail in the town.

Zosima alleged that the Salazars paid Benito to kill her husband because of his alleged close ties with Mancio.

While Salazar denied having a hand in the murder, saying he was not in a position to order a soldier to kill Escarda, he admitted though that he had an argument with the local police chief days before the killing.

Zosima said Salazar’s brother-in-law, a certain Figuracion, even offered her husband money so their supporters would not be bothered but the latter refused.

Salazar blamed the police for the incident, claiming that the animosity between the military and the police started when members of the Army’s 78th Infantry Battalion disarmed tanods in Barangay Malbago.

Salazar said that the soldiers got irked when the police allegedly changed two of the confiscated firearms with plastic toy guns.

Benito shot Escarda with an M-16 Armalite in front of the police station. Benito later surrendered to Capt. Gilbert Ombos.

Benito is now under the custody of provincial police chief Maximo Calimlim pending investigation.

The incident prompted the board of canvassers in Madridejos, which was placed under Comelec control, to suspend the canvassing and transfer it to Cebu City.

Choppers airlifted the election returns to the Central Command Wednesday morning.

Inspector Claro Benatiro, ground commander of the provincial police, will initiate the filing of charges against Benito. — Freeman News Service