BENHUR Salimbangon made good yesterday his threat to sue his political rivals, the Martinezes, over a standoff last May 10 in Barangay Polambato, Bogo City.
The congressman-elect, along with his relatives and supporters, filed criminal complaints for arbitrary detention and grave coercion against reelected Bogo City Mayor Celestino "Junie" Martinez Jr., Vice Mayor Santiago Sevilla, defeated congressional candidate Celestino "Tining" Martinez III, former representative Clavel Asas-Martinez, two of the Martinezes' lawyers and several unidentified persons.
Interviewed after his appearance at the Cebu Provincial Prosecutor's Office, Salimbangon said they will also file a petition asking the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to nullify Mayor Martinez Jr.'s proclamation.
Martinez defeated Salimbangon's sister, Mariquita Salimbangon Yeung.
Sun.Star Cebu reached a lawyer of the Martinez camp, but he declined to comment on the complaints.
Previous stories have quoted Mayor Martinez as saying he has the authority to order the search and that he only wanted to make sure his lawyers and supporters were not being harassed, allegedly by men carrying high-powered firearms.
Police officials have also explained they could not search the vehicles, because there were no firearms or other contraband in plain view and they lacked a search warrant.
Salimbangon called on members of the media who witnessed the standoff to press charges against the Martinezes.
Numbers
Also named respondents in the complaint were Martinezes' lawyers, Jose Carlo Martinez and Ahmad Clay Escolar.
Apart from Benhur Salimbangon, the other complainants include his son-in-law Martin Cabatingan, daughter Daphne Marie, nephews Ken, Francis Chad and Freddie, lawyer Ferdinand Pepito, Ronnie Ocampo, Wilfredo Alcordo, Jr., Roel Capili, Francisco Balbin and Jeryl Zamora.
In their joint complaint-affidavit, the Salimbangon camp said they were outside a polling precinct in Polambato Elementary School at 4 p.m. last May 10. They tried to verify information that members of the board of election inspectors (BEI) were issuing priority numbers exclusively to the Martinezes' supporters.
They said they also went to the area to give "moral support" to their camp.
But while they were standing outside the polling precinct, they said that Mayor Martinez, along with his wife Clavel, several family members, lawyers and supporters confronted them and shouted: "Nganong anhi-anhi man mo? Kami ang nakauna diri. Gusto mo'g samok, gubton ta ni (Why are you here? We got here first. You want trouble?)"
Blocked
To keep the tension from rising, Salimbangon said he ordered his supporters to leave. But as they were about to go, vehicles that allegedly belonged to the Martinezes blocked their way.
"As a result of the blockade, not a single vehicle of the Salimbangon convoy was allowed to pass through, which resulted in our being detained and trapped in the area against our will," the complainants said.
Concerned about his safety, Salimbangon's supporters took a chance by trying to drive his vehicle through a sugarcane field.
Martinez supporters and members of the City of Bogo Anti-Crime Task Force (CBACTF) allegedly managed to block Salimbangon's vehicle.
To avoid hitting anyone, the driver turned back to the public road but lawyer Carlo Martinez allegedly maneuvered his car and blocked the vehicle.
"In haste and in fear, I hurriedly walked toward the main road, leaving my service vehicle and the other vehicles of the convoy…several of the Martinezes' supporters chased us as we fled from their cordon. They even threw stones in our direction," said Salimbangon.
They said Mayor Martinez and his wife, Clavel, ordered the police to search Salimbangon's vehicle for firearms, but the authorities refused.
"The blockade illegally detained us and held us hostage against our will, in clear violation of our constitutional rights to life, liberty and property. It also curtailed our rights to suffrage and freedom of expression," the complaint said.
It wasn't until dawn, when Regional Police Director Lani-o Nerez arrived in the area, that the Salimbangon camp's vehicles were allowed to leave.
Forward
Interviewed separately, Nerez said the Police Regional Office (PRO) is still studying what cases to pursue against the Bogo City mayor and his supporters.
"This is the initiative of the police. No one is dictating us," Nerez told reporters.
He said the case is under review by the PRO 7 Legal Division and that they are still completing documents to be used as evidence.
Nerez said many people were inconvenienced by the roadblock and have been asking them what they can do.
"And as the main law enforcement agency, we have to do something," he explained.
He added that if the reporters who were present during the standoff last week execute affidavits, he said the police can also use these as evidence to support their case.
However, he assured they will not force the reporters if they do not want to.
He also urged the public to "move forward" as the elections are over and nearly all of the winners have been proclaimed.
"The election was held in just one day. I hope everyone will now reconcile, sit down and think about how we can work hand in hand for our country to move forward towards development," he said.