CEBU, Philippines — Controversial Barangay Tejero, Cebu City councilman Jessielou Cadungog is ready to take bullets from a firing squad rather than let the police to take custody of him.
“Wa koy kasigura-duhan sa PNP, dili ko kaugmaan… Willing ko moboluntaryo sa akong kinabuhi, mo-sign ko waiver. Pwede ko magpa-firing squad. Gusto nako magpa-firing squad sa Plaza Independencia atubangan sa publiko kaysa kuhaon ko nila, patyon ko nila, pagkahuman planteran ko’g shabu,” Cadungog told reporters yesterday.
He was reacting to a proposal that the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group take custody of him, instead of the National Bureau of Investigation.
He also vehemently denied the statement of Police Regional Office-7 director Debold Sinas that he is into illegal drugs.
In fact, he said, he is willing to reveal his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth to those who have doubts about his wealth.
He said he does not depend on his salary as a government official but rather as a stockholder and vice chairman of Oriental Port and Allied Services Corporation (OPASCOR), national executive board member of ALU-TUCP, among others.
“Kada tuig mo-declare gyud ko sa SALN, wa koy gitago kay kahibaw ka nahug naman kog government official. Maglikay gyud ko nga akong property nga madudahan ko nga gikan na sa gobyerno, so mao gi-declare na nako akong mga property sa SALN,” Cadungog said.
Invalid, Unnecessary
Meanwhile, for the police, the warrantless house search initiated by the family of Cadungog on Thursday night was invalid and unnecessary.
Cadungog’s family made move after getting word that police were supposedly planning to search the official’s residence and anticipating that evidence may be planted.
“Kailan ba naging authorized ang barangay officials to conduct ng search? So kung ano ang magiging resulta dun, kanila na yun, ang police wala na kami dun,” Senior Superintendent Royina Garma, director of Cebu City Police Office, said.
“You know, the problem with these people, they are anticipating yung move sa police and thinking negatively,” she added.
She said CCPO has not made any move yet to apply for a search warrant against Cadungog since the office has not found any probable cause that can justify the application.
“Ako wala ko gi-apply (search warrant), ambot sa ilaha. Masyadong advanced ang pag-iisip nila. I’m not applying search warrant sa bahay ni Cadungog kung asa man na diha kay wala pa man ko ebidensya nga naa ko dapat i-search sa iyang balay,” she said.
After the search Thursday, barangay officials did reportedly not find any illegal drugs or items inside Cadungog’s residence, and to this, Garma commented:
“Kung negative (results), tama ang police na di muna kami nag-apply ng search warrant kay alam naman namin na wala na. We are not stupid to apply search warrant na walang evidence, of course, we will not.”
Garma said they are still in the process of revoking Cadungog’s licensed firearms.
Meanwhile, Michael Banua, the police asset who was with the slain PO3 Eugene Calumba who was shot by Cadungog’s bodyguard, is now facing criminal complaints before the Office of the Cebu City Prosecutor.
Lawyers Renato Galleon and Benjamin Militar, counsels of Cadungog and his bodyguard William Macaslang, respectively, filed charges for attempted murder and illegal possession of firearm yesterday afternoon against Banua. — JMD (FREEMAN)