Vanguard 2 Nov 21- 26, 2016 In Tomas Oppus, So. Leyte
Mayor denies murder charges
Mayor Agustin Escaño
By Miriam Desacada
Tomas Oppus, Southern Leyte- The 78-year old mayor of this town has vehemently denied his involvement in the murder of the Barangay Captain of Hinagtican, even as the family of the murder victim and other barangay captains are saying they have been receiving death threats from him since the election period.
Celso Torion, 46, was killed in front of his 8-year old son last October 19 in the evening by a suspected hired killer in Barangay Looc, the barangay next to Hinagtican. The family claimed the mayor was responsible for such a killing and has asked the assistance of the National Bureau of Investigation after the local police took two days to arrive at the crime scene after the murder.
Mayor Agustin Escano in a face-off with the media said he finds no reason to kill somebody as he handily won in the elections. He said there is no problem with his leadership, and besides he is a religious person who prays the rosary every now and then. The mayor belongs to
Police Chief Rolando Paloma
the old Escaño clan based in Malitbog, who has since resided in Tomas Oppus, a few towns south of the family’ s roots. He has been occupying the post of mayor since 1972 intermittently.
“ Why? What can I get from trouble? Those are useless and baseless accusations. Before doing a crime, there should have a motive. And what is my motive anyway? I already won during the election. It( the complaint) may be just an act from people who cannot move on from being defeated and cannot accept it,” a visibly irritated mayor said.
He challenged government investigating agencies to conduct an in-depth investigation and said he is willing to submit himself to any probe.
The family of Torion and officials from other barangays had earlier reported the crime to the NBI, adding that even before the murder of Torion, he had been receiving death threats from the mayor, which they reported to the police. The victim was a political ally of Escaño in the previous elections. But in the last election, he shifted to the opposing candidate, which could be the reason why he was killed, according to members of the family.
Torion was shot twice by two men riding on a blue motorcycle. He was hit on the forehead and on the left side of his body. Besides Torion, 19 others have been killed for allegedly political motives, mostly barangay officials and political enemies. But Escaño was quick to deny these accusations, saying these are politically motivated. Such murders have not reported by the media.
Meanwhile, Tomas Oppus Police Chief Rolando Paloma maintained that they did not fail to conduct an investigated on the reported murder, contrary to accusations of the victim’ s family that the police arrived at the scene two days after the murder was committed.
He said he immediately sent a group of investigating team after Torion was killed. Paloma once more gave assurance to the family that the police will not be biased in the conduct of their investigation.
Southern Leyte PNP provincial director Sr. Supt. Warren de Leon confirmed that Paloma already submitted his answer to the letter complaint of the family on the lateness of their response.
Paloma said he is willing to step down once orders from his superiors relieving him from the post.
On the other hand, Remegio Lavilla, Sr. investigator of the National Bureau of Investigation in Eastern Visayas, said they have already started the investigation right after the family and barangay officials sought help from the NBI.#
Police supports Masa-Masid
BORONGAN CITY, Eastern Samar( PIA)- The management of the Eastern Samar Police Provincial Office( ESPPO) expressed its firm support on the government’ s campaign against anomaly, criminality, and illegal drugs in the province of Eastern Samar.
This expression of support was disclosed by Deputy Director for Operations Police Superintendent Noelito Getigan. He represented ESPPO Director Tranquilino Araral III during the launch of the Department of the Interior and Local Government- Eastern Samar Field Office( DILG-Eastern Samar) and the Eastern Samar Provincial Government’ s Mamamayan Ayaw Sa Anomaliya- Mamamayan Ayaw Sa Iligal na Droga or Masa-Masid Program.
Getigan said Estehanons must encourage one another
to cooperate with the government’ s programs like the Masa-Masid, a communitybased whose purpose is to combat anomaly, criminality, and illegal drugs the public’ s participation. It also aims to open the minds of Estehanons on the voluntary participation in the other programs of the government that result in community development.
He cited the Philippine National Police’ s( PNP) Project Double Barrel as an example. The Project Double Barrel is now being implemented by the ESPPO and continues to be successful because of the support of the people in every barangay through the Barangay Anti-drug Council( BADAC). Through the BADAC, the people can now identify or recognize illegal drug pushers and users in every barangay, which made the implementation of the
Project Double Barrel easier.
Since its implementation last July, the police office was able to record 3, 099 illegal drug surrenderees who are now undergoing local drug rehabilitation. Meanwhile, 87 illegal drug personalities were arrested in the series of drug operations held by the PNP.
Aside from this number of arrested drug personalities, they were also able to arrest a farmer, a principal, a security guard, barangay officials, some policemen, and teachers, among others. During this heightened campaign, one was killed when he put up a fight with the authorities while five others are considered as“ death under investigation” cases.
Getigan said the number of crimes in the province has been reduced to almost 50 %.( ajc / SDC / PIA8-Eastern Samar)
Witness in warrant issuance disappears
Tacloban City – A victim of foul play? Another player in the Espinosa rubout appears to have disappeared as all those involved are now being investigated, including the judge who issued the search warrant. The witness, whose name is being withheld for security reasons, is now deemed important as questions about his actual statements in front of the judge are being asked.
The witness had provided data to justify CIDG’ s need to have the court issue the search warrants, which it later served against Espinosa and Yap at their detention cells at the Leyte Sub-Provincial Jail in Baybay City at dawn of November 5. The implementation of the warrants inside the jail however resulted in the deaths of the two inmates.
The witness was a former prisoner at the Baybay City sub-provincial jail whose access to the detention facility before the warrant was issued is in question. How could an ex-prisoner provide accurate information about the two inmates, Espinosa and Yap?
Regional Trial Court in Basey, Samar, Judge Tarce-
Bato, Leyte – For the second time around, a polio victim who is peddling drugs in Brgy. Iniguihan, Bato, Leyte was nabbed Monday afternoon.
Armed with a search warrant issued by RTC Judge Ephrem Abando of Hilongos, Leyte, the Bato Police force raided the house of Julius Canda, 45 years old of Brgy. Iniguihan, Bato, Leyte. Canda was subsequently detained for illegal possession of fire arms and illegal drugs last May and posted bail for his temporary freedom. That was his first arrest.
This time around, Canda’ s house in Brgy. Iniguihan was raided by the police headed by SPO4 Alexander Astorga. The team recovered 4 pieces of shabu and a. 22 cal pistol. SPO4 Astorga told The Weekly Vanguard that they were monitoring the movement of Canda after he was released from jail last September. He added that after Canda was released, lo Sabarre Jr., who issued the warrants, earlier clarified that the witness did not mention that Yap was in possession of a short firearm, contrary to the claims by the CIDG men, as stated in their search warrant application.
But, after the serving of the warrants, the CIDG operatives recovered two short firearms— one from Espinosa and one from Yap. These, as evidences, were later submitted by the CIDG to Judge Sabarre of RTC in Basey Samar.
On November 7, Ferdinand Lavin, NBI spokesperson, confirmed that a separate probe on Espinosa’ s killing was started, with the NBI-Region 8 heading it. NBI agents from its national office and forensic personnel, including a ballistician, were already in the region for the purpose.
NBI-8 Regional Director Jerry Abiera assured the public that there will be no whitewash in the investigation and that it will be fair. He noted that witnesses were very cooperative in the process of the investigation. He however refused to reveal the progress report until the entire probe is completed.#( By Miriam Desacada)
Polio victim nabbed
Polio victim Julius Canda
he wasted no time in selling illegal drugs again in his barangay.
When interviewed, Canda said he was forced to sell drugs because he has no other means of supporting his daily needs because of his physical condition. Canda will be facing two cases, one for possession of illegal drugs and another for possession of an unlicensed firearm.( By Najib M. Cubio)
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