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Saturday, October 22, 2005
Datu hits DENR men, cops for 'extortion'
By Ben Serrano
Caraga Correspondent
BUTUAN CITY -- A Manobo tribal chieftain accused Thursday two DENR personnel manning a checkpoint in Barangay Batohon, Esperenza, Agusan del Sur and a Butuan police officer who mans a checkpoint in Barangay Bit-os, Butuan City for extortion.
In a live interview over Bombo Radyo Butuan Friday, Datu Lakawan alleged that Foresters Victor Casison and Rudy Clar, both under the office of the Community Environment and Natural Resources and officer Jaime Acebu of Bayugan, Agusan del Sur allegedly extorted P5,000 from him last October 8.
The two reportedly accused the chieftain of engaging in illegal logging activities.
Lakawan is engaged in a small scale logging activities on planted species in Agusan del Sur.
The chieftain said despite his explanations that his small cargoes were planted species, the two still continued to ask P5,000 and he finally relented by giving them an installment to facilitate the delivery of his forest products.
Lakawan also charged SPO2 Arthur Cubillas of the Butuan City Police Office (BCPO) of allegedly trying to extort from him P3,000.
Lakawan alleged that the policeman, a new member of the forest product monitoring station composite team in Barangay Bit-os this city dragged the name of the Butuan City Police Director and Caraga Police Regional Director, Chief Superintendent Rene Jamolod Elumbaring as one of the recipients of the proceeds of the money.
But Butuan City Police Director Ramon Espiritu denied the charges claiming he hasn't seen Lakawan nor had any knowledge of his activities.
Espiritu told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro he is challenging Lakawan to a face-to-face confrontation if only to find out who is telling the truth.
However, Espiritu admitted that Cubillas is his man and is a member of the BCPO assigned in Barangay Bit-os, Butuan City.
DENR Caraga Regional Executive Director Benjamen Tumaliuan said the two DENR personnel Victor Casison and Rudy Clar were already suspended.
Like Espiritu, Tumaliuan did not elaborate further on whether they conducted investigation on the charges.
Meanwhile, Elumbaring in an interview denied the allegations and described the charges as mere "jokes."
(October 22, 2005 issue)
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