MAGPALE
WITH no complaint filed, the Provincial Board could not investigate Daanbantayn Mayor Vicente Loot on his alleged links to the drug trade of alleged drug lord Roland “Kerwin” Espinosa Jr.
Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale said that the PB complaints and investigation would wait for a complaint to be submitted before they could conduct an investigation.
“In fact, it has to be verified complaint (where it should) be in an affidavit g’yud kay naa na sa among house rules (since it’s in our house rules),” Magpale said.
Last Wednesday in the Senate hearing, Espinosa admitted that he gave drug money worth P120,000 monthly payola in 2012 to retired police general and now Mayor Loot through Chief Insp. Leo Laraga of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Eastern Visayas (CIDG-8).
However, the PB can initiate probe on Loot as long as it will be initiated by the chairperson of the committee on peace and order, who is the stepson of Loot, PB Member Sun Shimura.
She said that the PB can initiate their own, not necessarily investigation, but it can be a hearing since it can also be in aid of legislation.
Meanwhile, Shimura told Cebu Daily News that the PB cannot conduct investigation of Loot since the accusations happened when the latter was still in the Philippine National Police (PNP).
He said that he does not see the point of investigating in the PB because the allegations happened when Loot was not yet the mayor of Daanbantayan and these were not related to his present position nor affect his responsibilities as mayor of the town.