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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