CEBU CITY—It apparently pays to have someone from Malacañang to facilitate a surrender.
While most Cebuanos were sleeping, Cebu road rage suspect David Lim Jr. turned himself over to Chief Supt. Noli Taliño, director of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) at 2 a.m. on Tuesday.
Instead at the stockade of Cebu City Police Office which investigated the shooting, Lim was detained at the Regional Intelligence Division inside Camp Sergio Osmeña, headquarters of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7).
Lim was accompanied by his mother Bebong, two relatives, and lawyer Orlando Salatandre Jr. when he went to the office of Taliño at the Camp Sergio Osmeña around 2 a.m.
Taliño then reported the surrender a text message to Secretary Bong Go, special assistant to the President who, in turn, forwarded the text message to reporters in Davao City.
Go was accompanying President Duterte in his official visits to Asian countries.
“Sir good am. Please be informed that David Lim Jr., the road rage suspect, has surrendered to RD-PRO 7 at around 2 a.m., March 21. 2017 at PRO 7 accompanied by his mother Bebong, two relatives, and lawyer Jun Salatandre. He is currently under my custody at RID pending the filing of the case un court. FYI sir.,” the text message read.
Cebu Daily News tried to reach Taliño but he had not replied through calls.
But in an interview with ABS-CBN on Tuesday morning, he denied that there was special treatment given to Lim although he admitted that he was staying in his office while charges against him were being readied.
In an interview on Monday night, Taliño said he was requested by Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, Philippine National Police chief, to coordinate with Secretary Go and arrange the surrender of Lim.
Go apparently advised Lim’s mother to surrender her son after he was identified as the shooter in the road rage shooting that wounded a nurse on Sunday dawn.
“Sir Bong, the family decided to follow your advise to surrender my son David Lim Jr. to the regional commander Chief Supt. Noli Taliño tomorrow (Tuesday)….Please help us facilitate his surrender and safety- Mrs Lim,” the text message of Bebong forwarded by Go.
Lim’s surrender, however, was kept under wraps that even Senior Supt. Joel Doria, director of the Cebu City police director, was not informed about it.
He didn’t know about it until Cebu Daily News called him around 6 a.m. Tuesday.
“Nag-surrender na pala? Wala akong alam na nag-surrender na pala siya (He already surrendered? I didn’t know that he had already surrendered),” he said.
Doria said he was not totally surprised since Lim already sent surrender fillers on Monday although no schedule was set.
Asked why he was not informed by Taliño about the 2 a.m. surrender, Doria replied: “Hindi natin alam (I don’t know).”
He said that based on the procedure, Lim should be detained at the CCPO stockade or the Mabolo Police Station which has jurisdiction over the place where the road rage incident happened.
He said there was nothing much he can do if higher-ups wanted Lim to remain at the RID office.
In an interview with Anthony Taberna of ABS-CBN Manila, Taliño said the Lim family requested him not to put the suspect in an ordinary stockade while the charges were being prepared.
“Yan ang naging usapan namin. Wala din tayong detention facility dito. But he’s closely guarded by the police. (That’s the agreement we had with the family. Also, we don’t have a detention facility here at PRO-7. He’s nonetheless guarded closely by the police),” he said.
He said they would turn over Lim to the proper jail authorities once the case was filed in court.
“Takot kasi ang pamilya sa CCPO jail. Kaya punayag tayo na dito muna sa opisina. Wala namang special treatnent. Kapag may kaso na, then ilagay natin siya kung saang detention cell na nararapat. (His family is afraid yo out him at the CCPO stockade. So I agreed to temporarily put him here inside the RID office. There’s no special treatment. Once a case is filed, we will bring him to the right detentionvfacility),” he said.
But Lim may not have the chance to stay inside the jail.
His lawyer Salatandre said they will post bail once the charges will be filed in court.
Any persons charged with frustrated homicide can post a P200,000 bail as mandated under the law.