Friday, May 23, 2008 Talisay to build up case v. operators of video carrera
THE Talisay City Legal Office wants Lagtang barangay officials to establish how the three video carrera machines were confiscated from its owners last Monday night to make sure the cases they will file will prosper.
City Legal Officer Owen Algoso yesterday directed Lagtang Barangay Captain Celiapo Cabuenas to submit a complete report on the confiscation to ensure an airtight case against four alleged video carrera operators.
Cabuenas led the tanods in seizing the machines in three different sitios amid persistent complaints about the proliferation of the illegal gambling machines in Lagtang.
Confirmation
Tanods Julius Econas and Nelson Juezan and building caretaker Romeo Pineda already executed affidavits at Algoso’s office last Wednesday, confirming that four carrera operators ransacked the two-story Lagtang barangay hall early Tuesday dawn.
The operators reportedly retrieved the coins and central processing units (CPUs), the machine’s vital component, while Pineda was asleep on the terrace.
Cabuenas condemned the act as an utter disrespect for barangay authorities.
However, Algoso noticed that the barangay officials failed to submit a report on the seizure of the coin-operated video carrera machines, which he considered as basic requirement in establishing a criminal case.
“We have to go back to the beginning. The facts of the seizure must be established first, otherwise we will be asked how the three carrera machines got into the barangay hall,” Algoso told Sun.Star Cebu yesterday.
Committee
In a related report, Mayor Socrates Fernandez said the Committee on Decorum and Investigation (Codi) will look into the participation of Menchulyn Dagode in retrieving the CPUs and coins from the seized carrera machines.
Pineda identified Dagode, a City Hall job-order employee, as among the four alleged carrera operators who barged into the barangay hall past 2 a.m. last Tuesday.
Algoso said the Codi will summon Dagode to face an administrative inquiry once the criminal case is filed against the carrera operators.
Investigation
“That will follow, we will tackle the criminal aspect of this case first,” he added.
For her part, Dagode refused to comment on Codi’s investigation, but assured to face the committee when she receives an invitation.
Fernandez also assured that Dagode will still report for work pending results of the inquiry of Codi. (GC)
