Ombudsman clears brgy captain, tanod chief of admin rap

CEBU, Philippines - The Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas has dismissed the administrative complaint against the barangay captain and tanod chief of Barangay Pangdan in Naga City, Cebu for lack of evidence.

Barangay captain Isaias Alinsonorin and tanod chief Andres Alferez were accused of oppression by Ananias Manriquez in 2007.Manriquez claimed that Alinsonorin held his neck and tried to strangle him for  initiating a petition against a batching plant in their barangay.

 The complainant said that on April 5, 2007 while on his way home at 10:30 pm he passed by the group of Alinsonorin and Alferez having drinking session along the road. He was allegedly offered a drink which he also obliged.

Manriquez said he greeted the group including the barangay captain but the latter ignored him. After a while, the respondent barangay captain confronted him for initiating the petition against the Kimwa batching plant because of  its alleged “toxic emission”.

Alinsonorin reportedly grabbed him by his neck and threatened that he would have been executed had it not because of his brother’s presence.

 The barangay captain denied the complaint. Alinsonorin said he was just asking the complainant if he initiated the petition against the batching plant. It was allegedly the complainant who was arrogant.

Alinsonorin said it was the complainant who grabbed him by the neck and not the other way around.

Graft investigator Antonio Yap dismissed the complaint for lack of evidence. Yap said he found no sufficient ground to hold the respondents liable.

In fact, there was serious doubt as to when did the incident happen because of the discrepancy in the records.

According to Yap, the complainant said the incident happened in April 5 but the respondent said it happened July 5. The police blotter also mentioned April 4, a day earlier than the supposed incident.

 â€œIt would seem that the recording of the entry in the police blotter was ahead than that of the happening of the incident,” Yap said.  (FREEMAN)