CEBU City Mayor Tomas Osmeña suspects the police are responsible for a foiled ambush yesterday morning on former Tejero barangay captain Jessielou Cadungog.
He handed Cadungog over to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) yesterday, upon learning that the police had tagged the councilman as the primary suspect in the death of a police officer.
“That’s ridiculous. Our police have lost their credibility. Naunsa man na sila (What is happening to them)? If you think about it, if they wanted to arrest him, why didn’t they go to his office? Why did they have to do it in the middle of the street? That’s ridiculous, nasakpan gyod (they’ve been caught); the police is very involved in this crime,” Osmeña told reporters.
“And I suspect that’s what’s been happening in the city. I don’t like what’s happening and the police is purely the suspect, but I don’t think they’re immune from public scrutiny,” he said.
Police Regional Office (PRO) Director Debold Sinas named Cadungog, who is now a barangay councilman of Tejero, as the primary suspect in the death of Police Officer 3 Eugene Alcuin Calumba.
Calumba of the Parian Police Station was shot and killed after he allegedly fired at Cadungog’s vehicle around 8 a.m. Monday in Villagonzalo 2, Cebu City.
“They got it all wrong. I think if they’re going to say that, then the police are lying. You say, I said that and I’m fed up with comments like that. I’m taking a stand here. I’m just saying what I see. I’m speaking clearly from the clear conscience of what I observed,” Osmeña said.
Cadungog: Why me?
Osmeña said he turned over Cadungog to NBI Central Visayas for his safety.
“It’s up to the NBI to proceed with whatever move because he’s under their custody,” the mayor said.
In an interview, Cadungog said he has no idea why he was tagged as a suspect.
“I don’t know why they included me. They know that I have no illegal activities,” he said.
Before the attack, Cadungog said, he had received a text message warning him that he and Osmeña were targets.
This is why, Cadungog said, he adjusted his daily routine.
He wasn’t sure who fired the first shot.
He remembers stepping down from the car while his driver prepared to go and gas up. Before Cadungog could reach the barangay hall, however, he heard gunshots.
“Mao to nga nidagan ko kay wa baya ta kahibaw if naa pay laing back-up. Naniguro lang sad ko sa akong kaugalingon (I ran away in case the shooter had back-up. I wanted to be sure I was safe),” he said.
Cadungog said he asked for help from the mayor, who later picked him up from where he was hiding.
He also said his three firearms, one of which his driver had used in firing against Calumba and his back-up, are all licensed. He has secured authority to carry the guns outside his residence.
Cadungog said that if the police officials suspect he had something to do with the late SPO1 Adonis Dumpit, they should have invited him for questioning.
Self-defense, driver says
In an interview, Cadungog’s driver said he fired the first shot but was merely acting in self-defense. (He has requested not to be named in this report, for his security.)
He was on his way to T. Padilla Ext. when a motorcycle approached the driver’s side of Cadungog’s vehicle.
“Pagtungod nila nako, nakabantay ko sa side mirror nga nagtaptap sila unya nilingi sa driver’s seat unya nibunot, mao to nidepensa lang ko sa akong kaugalingon (When they got close to me, I saw in the side mirror that they had covered their faces and were looking at the driver’s seat. I saw one draw a firearm out, and I fired in self-defense),” he said.
Cadungog’s driver was also under the custody of NBI Central Visayas as of last night.
Lawyer Dominador Cimafranca, assistant regional director of NBI 7, said the agency will take temporary custody of Cadungog and his driver and will coordinate with other authorities.
Osmeña also turned over all evidences that Councilor Dave Tumulak recovered from Michael Banua, who was with Calumba at the time of the incident.
The mayor, for his part, said measures will be taken to equip barangay tanods.
“We will have to reinforce the barangay tanods and I will have to push for the training and arming of the barangay tanods. We have to take a more aggressive posture against criminality. My priority is to not compromise the safety of the city,” he told reporters before the Association of Barangay Councils elections yesterday. (See related story, A6)
The mayor also agreed with opposition Councilor Pastor Alcover Jr. that Cebu City has become “a criminal city.”
“That’s correct. They say Cebu is safe. It’s not safe. I told you already that something is wrong, out of place. But I think we should give (Cebu City Police Office Director Royina) Garma a chance to straighten it out because she’s fairly new,” he said.
He also said he suspected that the police had a hand in the attempt to shoot former SPO2 Armando Lozano in a public school nearly two weeks ago, during a parents and teachers’ event.
Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella, however, disagreed with Councilor Alcover’s assessment.
“Well, it’s relatively safe for law-abiding citizens but the only thing that we should really be afraid of, for me, is one innocent man getting killed. That is unacceptable,” he said.
Labella also said he hasn’t lost trust in the police, although it would be alarming to find proof that law enforcers are behind some crimes themselves. (WITH MICHAEL REY M. CORTES, CIT-U INTERN)