CEBU City Mayor Tomas Osmeña describes Police Chief Insp. Chuck Barandog as a cop with a “bad reputation.” The mayor has linked the police officer to a series of attacks in Cebu City over the last six months.
“He’s very active. He’s the suspect in the shooting of Ahmed (SPO2 Armando Lozano)...the suspect in the killing of Konsehal Eldi (barangay councilman Hildibrando Ygonia) in Calamba. He’s the suspected mastermind in the strafing of the car of (Calamba councilman Richard) Buscaino.” the mayor said.
It’s an interesting allegation, one that bolsters his claim that the police may be behind the recent spate of killings in Cebu City and the province. The problem is that, the mayor has still to present pieces of evidence to prove it. Which makes Barandog no different from the others who have been victimized by something that has become a practice under the Duterte administration.
Osmeña even supposedly has a list a-la Duterte. No, the list does not contain the name of personalities that are involved in the illegal drugs trade or of people that are protecting them but of policemen with “bad reputation,” which could mean they are behind the recent spate of killings in Cebu.
“They have a list, I have a list. (SPO1 Roderick) Balili was on my list,” Osmeña said. Balili was the cop who, according to Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 Debold Sinas, figured in an accidental firing in Pinamungajan town. Others, including Osmeña, believe he was among those who ambushed Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) agent Von Rian Tecson in Perrelos, Carcar. In that incident, Tecson was able to fire back at and hit one of the assailants before he died.
But law enforcement should not be about coming up with lists and then those who made the list pursuing those who are in it. In the case of the list of supposed illegal drug dealers and protectors, most of those in it were not given a chance to clear their names before they were executed by persons who act as judge, jury and executioner.
Law enforcement should be about due process, or following the law in enforcing it. That should apply to both the police and to the mayor. Barandog should be given his day in court.