Tuesday, August 12, 2008 Political supporters of rivals in Tudela trade lawsuits By Katrina A. Balmaceda and Mia E. Abellana Of Sun.Star Cebu
IN THEIR fight over the post of mayor of Tudela, Camotes island, the supporters of Demetrio Granada and Rogelio Baquerfo have gone past scuffles and verbal war to filing lawsuits.
Two hours after policemen filed a complaint for attempted murder against four Granada supporters yesterday, Pablito Diocampo, one of the accused who remains at large, arrived and filed a complaint for attempted murder against a Baquerfo ally and his aide.
The Office of the Provincial Prosecutor records showed that at 12:05 noon yesterday, a criminal complaint for attempted murder was filed against Diocampo, Arnold Montero, Marlito Montero and Rolito Mariamonte.
This was for a hand grenade-throwing incident in Tudela last July 5, which damaged a portion of the Tudela Police Station.
It was accused Arnold Montero who initially signed as complainant, but he later asked that it be changed to Cebu Provincial Police Office Director Carmelo Valmoria, according to a source at the prosecutor’s office.
Arnold claimed that Diocampo had offered him and his brother Marlito P5,000 to throw a hand grenade at the Tudela Police station.
In his extra-judicial confession, Arnold said that Diocampo told him and Marlito of the plan at 7:00 p.m. on July 1 inside the Tudela municipal hall.
The only motive Diocampo allegedly cited was: “Aron motagam ang police.”
Diocampo reportedly gave the partial payment of P1,500 on July 3, and the remaining P3,500 on July 6.
Arnold admitted that on the night of July 5, he, Marlito and Mariamonte went to the Tudela Police Station to throw the grenade.
He said Marlito and Mariamonte wore black woolen masks, black sweatshirts and black short pants. Arnold wore a brown woolen cap, a brown sweatshirt and black jogging pants.
A witness, 46-year-old Chito Garciano, executed an affidavit saying he passed by the police station at 11:15 that night, and he “fully recognized” the three.
Garciano said he was surprised when he saw Marlito throw something toward the police station and quickly ride away on a black motorcycle with Arnold and Mariamonte onboard. He thought it was only a stone.
Six seconds later, he said, a loud explosion rang out from the back of the office of the town’s chief of police.
In his affidavit, Garciano said he recognized the Montero brothers because he often saw them visiting their father, Marlito Montero Sr., who worked with Tudela mayor Demetrio Granada. Mariamonte was also often seen riding around with them.
Arnold also claimed that it was Marlito who threw the grenade, while Mariamonte drove the black motorcycle.
Arnold and his younger brother Marlito were arrested separately by virtue of a criminal charge that stemmed from a murder in Ormoc City. Police picked up Arnold in his grandparents’ home in Brgy. Puertobello, Tudela, Camotes. They caught Marlito in Ormoc.
Diocampo and Mariamonte remain at large.
At 2:05 p.m. yesterday, though, Diocampo filed a criminal complaint for attempted murder against Levy Labayan and Triponito del Corro at the OPP.
Only a few minutes later, a complaint for malicious mischief was filed against the two. This time, the complainant was Ryan Estrera, councilor of brgy. Northern
Poblacion in Tudela.
Diocampo’s and Estrera’s complaints stemmed from the same incident on the night of July 30, when Diocampo’s father Lucilo passed away.
Diocampo asked Estrera if he could borrow the barangay-owned multicab to buy bread for relatives and friends mourning his father.
Diocampo then drove to the bakery along with Mariamonte and two other companions, who also executed affidavits to support both Diocampo’s and Estrera’s allegations.
They claimed that Labayan suddenly stopped them on the road and grabbed Diocampo by the cuff, forcing him out of the driver’s seat. The two struggled and Labayan fell to the ground.
They then heard a shot and saw Del Corro running toward them with a gun.
“Wa maigo! Usbi! Patya gyud! (He wasn’t hit. Shot again. Make sure he’s dead)” Labayan reportedly said. Del Corro then fired five more shots but missed as Diocampo and his companions fled.
Diocampo and Estrera both cited treachery in the incident, claiming that Labayan and Del Corro had conspired in distracting the group and firing shots at them.
Labayan ran for vice-mayor under Baquerfo’s wing in the May 2007 elections, but lost to Granada’s vice-mayor Clint Maratas by 628 votes. Del Corro was his errand boy
who also claimed to be Labayan’s bodyguard.
Diocampo claimed that ever since Labayan lost the elections, he “hated anybody whom he believed did not vote for him”, saying that “hate burns like wildfire in (Labayan’s) heart”.
Meanwhile, police are still evaluating who will receive the P20,000 reward offered for information on the person responsible for the throwing of the hand grenade.
Valmoria said that before they got hold of a witness, they already received information that Montero was behind it.
He said when they got hold of an arrest warrant for another case, they conducted an operation leading to his arrest.
Valmoria earlier offered a P10,000 reward from his own funds while another donor, whom he did not identify, offered another P10,000.
