Wednesday, May 14, 2008 Police chief, 9 others face robbery charges
CAGAYAN de Oro Police Director Isagani Genabe, three other senior officials and six members of the Special Operations Group were charged with robbery over a police operation against an alleged illegal cockfighting den.
A businesswoman alleged that she lost P150,000 during the raid conducted by the Cagayan de Oro SOG in Barangay Kauswagan.
Charged with Genabe are Senior Inspector Victor Cacdac, Chief of the SOG, Senior Inspector Robert de los Reyes and a certain Chief Inspector Balagan.
Genabe declined to be interviewed Tuesday because he had some prior engagements. He promised Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro to answer the accusations Wednesday.
The complainants, Raselda Bual, a businesswoman and Samuel Antiga, both residents of Barangay 22, executed affidavits that the SOG operatives allegedly stole their money during a raid at an alleged illegal cockfighting den in Capisnon, Barangay Kauswagan last March 22.
Bual said P150,00 was allegedly taken from her. She said the money was intended for lending to "bigtime" cockfighting aficionados who need cash during the game.
She said a policeman tried to get her shoulder bag but she resisted. Bual said she stopped resisting when the policeman pointed a gun on her head. Out of fear and shocked she reluctantly gave the shoulder bag to the police who placed it inside a red plastic bag.
She said the last time she saw the red plastic bag was being carried by another person whom she cannot identified.
Antiga said in his affidavit said he was also in the business of lending money to the cockfighting aficionados and have P50,000 at that time. He said the policemen also took the money from him.
He said he saw other policemen frisking the pockets of those they have arrested and taking their money.
Bual and Antiga were both arrested by the police during the raid along with 50 other alleged gamblers.
But what surprised Bual and Antiga was when they saw the official police report filed by the raiding team who declared that only P4,550 and 21 fighting cocks were seized from the den.
"Klaro kaayo nga robbery kadto. Daghan kaayo wala gi-declare nila sa blotter nga ilang gi-confiscate gikan sa amo. Apil na ang mga manok (It was a clear robbery. They failed to declare a lot of things confiscated from us in the blotter, including the fighting cocks)," Bual told Sunstar Cagayan de Oro.
She said they included Genabe in the charge sheet because as commanding officer of the raiding team, the City Police Director has the command responsibility of the actions of his men.
Bual belied the claim of the police that the cockfighting den was illegal. She said the Kauswagan Barangay Council was the one who organized the event as part of the activities for the incoming fiesta on May 15.
She showed a copy of the barangay chief’s letter to Mayor Constantino Jaraula informing and asking permission from the latter of the cockfighting event that started last Feb. 14.
Jaraula did not answer the village chief’s request.
In the police report filed after the raid, Genabe told the PNP Regional Command that the raid was conducted because the cockfighting violated Presidential Decree 449.
Bual and Antiga were released to the custody of the village chief.
The Cagayan de Oro City Police office have been on the limelight lately following the relief of several of its senior police officers for the alleged involvement in the video karrera syndicate.
