CEBU City Councilor Mary Ann de los Santos challenged authorities to spare their political allies from the harassment and abuse allegedly committed by the police.
In a privilege speech during the City Council’s regular session on Tuesday, April 23, de los Santos narrated incidents of the alleged abuse of the police against their supporters.
“The undeniable fact is that all the harassment and violence are directed only at BOPK (Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan) allies and supporters,” she said.
In her speech, de los Santos recalled how Lusaran barangay tanods Renato Goc-ong and Reynaldo Luna were shot and killed last Feb. 22 by members of the City Mobile Force Company (CMFC).
Goc-ong’s wife, Emma, was also killed in the shootout.
According to the police, the two allegedly refused to surrender and instead exchanged gunfire with the police who were serving a search warrant against them.
“Such is the version of the police. However, such is not the version according to the child of Renato and Emma, who was able to hide and was able to witness how his parents surrendered to the police and how they pleaded for their lives before they were mercilessly shot. What makes such incident even more bizarre is that the identities of those who participated in the raid remain undisclosed to this date,” she said.
The councilor also recalled the strafing incidents at the house of Sudlon II Barangay Captain Pricillo Albores and Sinsin Barangay Captain Aurelio Laspuna last April 4.
On April 12, de los Santos said, masked men went looking for Agsungot Barangay Captain Peter Damaolao in his home and 20 minutes later, three men were also looking for Buot Barangay Captain Richard Bacayan in his water-refilling station and left a live .45 pistol round in a bench outside the store.
This week, policemen in uniform who were wearing masks allegedly roamed and took pictures of the house of Calamba Barangay Captain Victor Quijano.
Two other mountain barangay captains were also reportedly escorted by policemen and were surprised when they were met by a city councilor and were confronted with survey results stating that their candidates were lagging in the survey.
De los Santos also recalled how her neighbors sought her help after police officers allegedly barged into different houses inside their subdivision in Barangay Lahug to look for illegal firearms without any search warrant.
“It created panic in my peaceful and calm neighborhood as our neighbors were so scared and were cowering in fear because of the intimidating presence of the police who came with their weapons,” she said.
In a Facebook post, Mayor Tomas Osmeña also cried harassment and intimidation after some police officers set up a checkpoint in front of his house in the interior portion of Barangay Guadalupe.
For Councilor Joel Garganera, de los Santos’ allegations against the police are serious.
“She particularly used the word barge. This ought to mean that force was exerted and that the residents were unwilling... These allegations are imbued with public interest and it should at least be supported by some evidence, based on the personal knowledge of delos Santos herself,” he said.
But if the allegations against the police tasked to enforce the laws do not have any basis, Garganera said it will affect the public’s trust and confidence in the police.
“I am not asking her to prove the fact, but she should at least show that she has some basis for it. And I encourage her to raise these concerns before the proper forum like the courts and even raise it to the PNP Chief so it will be investigated,” he said.
De los Santos moved to give PNP chief Oscar Albayalde a copy of her privilege speech. (RVC)