Thursday, May 22, 2008 Tanods confirm: Operators did it
TWO tanods and a caretaker of Lagtang Barangay Hall executed affidavits at the Talisay City Hall yesterday, affirming that four carrera operators ransacked the barangay hall last Tuesday dawn and ran off with coins and central processing units (CPUs) of confiscated video carreras.
The secretary of City Legal Officer Owen Algoso took the affidavits of tanods Julius Econas and Nelson Juezan and building caretaker Romeo Pineda past 1 p.m.
The three identified the alleged operators of coin-operated gambling machines as Macario Cabuenas, spouses Faustino Jr. and Desiree Rabadon and Menchulyn Dagode, all of Barangay Lagtang.
In his affidavit, Pineda denied that he coddled the suspects and allowed them to enter the barangay hall past 3 a.m.
This is contrary to claims of Dagode that Pineda gave them the door key, giving them access to two-story building to freely recover the coins and CPUs, the machine’s vital component.
Lagtang Barangay Captain Celiapo Cabuenas led tanods in confiscating three video carrera units in Sitios Burlas, Lukap and Lagtang proper last Monday night.
The three coin-operated machines were kept at the barangay hall’s second floor, adjacent to the barangay councilors’ session hall.
After learning about the seizure, carrera operators and their men reportedly stayed overnight outside the barangay hall amid tight security by the tanods, Cabuenas said.
The suspects, however, allegedly took advantage of a trouble alarm and barged into the building when tanods responded to the alarm some 200 meters away from the barangay hall.
Barangay Secretary Renato Cabradilla believes that the operators climbed up the window through a rattan-made aerial ladder around 3 a.m.
Pineda told Sun.Star Cebu that Dagode approached him past 2 a.m. and asked if he had the door key and if he knew the whereabouts of the tanods.
He said that an hour later, he fell asleep on the terrace and got roused only by a commotion inside the barangay hall.
He discovered then that carrera operators and their cohorts were busy removing the coins and CPUs from the three machines.
Pineda accosted them but he decided to retreat for his safety, seeing that the suspects’ two male companions had screwdrivers.
He then sought the help of Econas and Juezan, whom he saw outside the barangay hall on his way out.
Upon reaching the barangay hall, Pineda said they saw the carrera operators leaving in a hurry aboard their motorcycles.
Meanwhile, Algoso said the affidavits will determine the appropriate criminal charges to be filed against the carrera operators.
Algoso said he would also evaluate the possible administrative case against Dagode, a job-order employee at City Hall under Councilor Ben Abatayo. (GC)
