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Friday, November 11, 2005
Autonomous region exec posts bail; cop chief blames nightspot
By Danilo V. Adorador III
CAGAYAN de Oro City Police Director Aurelio Trampe Thursday blamed a public establishment's security for the incident last Wednesday evening in which a man pointed a gun and threatened to shoot Bukidnon Governor Jose Ma. Zubiri.
The security snafu has generated calls to review the city's gun control measures.
Ordinance 8205 passed in 2002 mandated owners of long firearms and assault rifles, including police and military personnel, to deposit their weapons with the nearest police precinct.
The ordinance, which is an amendment to an earlier measure, only covers Cagayan de Oro residents and places exemptions to those who are "passing by the city and on their way to destinations outside Cagayan de Oro City."
A police official who requested anonymity, however, said the ordinance was "vague" and "wanting of stronger provisions." He said none of the city's ordinances on gun control pointed to a specific provision, which would bar gun owners from carrying their guns inside any establishment.
Also, obscuring the city's policy on gun control was underlined when the present City Council passed Ordinance 5871 in 2003 calling President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to reconsider her total gun ban policy at that time.
The ordinance called on for a selective gun ban control, saying this will protect "responsible and law-abiding citizens from lawless elements."
But Trampe attributed the incident to the lapses in observing security protocols on the part of the Zax Resto management where the incident occurred.
He said the Philippine National Police (PNP) has an existing policy directing all night establishments to frisk customers and have them leave their weapons at the gate or at the security guard station.
All precinct commanders under him had been instructed to disseminate this policy after the Zubiri-incident, he said.
Meanwhile, it was learned that the suspect, Makoy Malawani, posted Thursday a bail of P10,000 for his temporary liberty. Zubiri filed grave threat case against the suspect.
Malawani was later identified by police through his identification card, which revealed that he is employed as assistant executive secretary of the Autonomous Region for Muslim in Mindanao (Armm).
The incident started when Malawani who was reportedly drunk, asked Zubiri reportedly to dance with him. When the governor flatly refused Malawani's request, the suspect reportedly pointed a gun at him and threatened to shoot him.
The governor was with the State Secretary of Cambodia that night, accompanied by some PhilHealth officials in the region.
He said they were inside the establishment to entertain the foreign guest who visited Bukidnon to get inputs on his province's successful implementation of certain health initiatives.
Malawani was arrested by police minutes later at Home Court KTV after he and his two other companions whisked themselves from the establishment after the incident. The suspect's gun, however, was not anymore recovered by police. (With reports from Sun.Star Superbalita)
(November 11, 2005 issue)
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