Trader files cases vs alleged NBI men

LUCENA CITY , Philippines  – A 43-year-old Filipino-Chinese trader have filed multiple cases at the Office of the Ombudsman against four members of the National Bureau of Investigation operatives in Lucena City who barged into their house and ransacked their jewelry and other valuables including their earned money amounting to P40 million.

The complainant, Antonio Sio, of Barangay Purok 3A, Dalahican, Lucena City, filed charges of theft, grave threats and grave coercion, falsification of public documents and incriminating innocent persons against four NBI operatives identified as Special Investigators III Valentretto Cardoza, Elbert Maliwanag, Job Gayas, Adriano Feudo, lawyer Reynolds Tabbu and a certain John Doe.

In his six-page sworn statement, at about 4 p.m. on July 25, while he was busy cleaning his car inside their compound, a group of men arrived and asked him if he knew Antonio Sio. When the lawmen learned it was him, the group all wearing civilian clothes introduced themselves as NBI operatives and arrested Sio for illegal possession of firearms.

Despite the fact he already surrendered his two licensed guns, NBI operatives continuously searched his house and forcibly plucked the plywood covering the two cabinets wherein cash amounting P40 million was kept.   – Ed Amoroso