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Friday, June 30, 2006
Police checks threats made by PUJ drivers
The Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) is inviting at least three drivers in the investigation on the shooting of a traffic policeman last Tuesday night.
Acting CCPO Director Melvin Gayotin and Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Bureau Chief Pablo Labra II said it is only an invitation to shed light on the fight between traffic authorities and drivers of Mandaue City-Cebu City-bound jeepneys.
They are not considered suspects yet, the police officials said.
Gayotin said one of the drivers allegedly threatened PO3 Allan Magalso during the incident.
“Makabawos ra gyud ko nimo (We will get even),” Gayotin said, quoting the driver.
Magalso, a speed cop from the Cebu City Traffic Division, survived an attack by a masked man on a motorcycle at 9:30 p.m. Tuesday along Katipunan St., Barangay Labangon, Cebu City.
Gayotin earlier ruled out speculations that the attack was carried out by vigilantes or the New People’s Army (NPA) hit squad.
The Homicide Section, the lead agency investigating the incident, was ordered yesterday to coordinate with the city traffic division to identify the drivers.
But Antonio Pogado, chairman of the protesting transport group Nagka-hiusang Drayber sa Sugbo, in an interview with Sun.Star Cebu, said the linking of the June 19 incident to the shooting of Magalso is malicious.
Pogado said that althugh the police declined to name the transport group, it is obvious they are referring to Nadsu because the altercation involved drivers who are members of the organization.
Pogado said Nadsu does not use violence to solve a problem, particularly on the issue of banning jeepneys from outside Cebu City from entering the city.
In fact, he said, Nadsu condemned the attack on Magalso.
Pogado said he will consult a lawyer whether to allow his members to show up for the police invitation.
Cebu City councilor Sylvan Jakosalem also believes that if indeed the attempt on Magalso’s life was related to the implementation of City Ordinance 1837, transport groups had no hand on it.
The ordinance banned Mandaue City passenger jeepneys in particular from reaching downtown Cebu City.
He also said Magalso and his companions were in the street not to enforce Ordinance 1837, but to do random checks of PUJ franchises.
The City Traffic Operations Management (Citom) and Cebu City Police Office traffic group, he added, sometimes check on PUJs to ensure they don’t have expired franchises.
When the two drivers were collared for reckless driving and disobedience to persons in authority, other drivers converged because they thought it was because of the ordinance.
According to a radio dyLA report, Citom already filed in the last two weeks 97 cases against Mandaue-Cebu City jeepney drivers who violated the city ordinance.(JST/RHM)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (June 30, 2006 issue)
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