BREAKING his silence, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña yesterday criticized the decision of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO – 7) to conduct a background check on police officials visiting the wake of SPO1 Adonis Dumpit, who was his security aide.
He even challenged investigators from PRO-7 to do a background check on him, too, for visiting and providing assistance to the living relatives of Dumpit who will be buried today, Wednesday.
“I don’t think that’s fair. Why, just because you were friends, you’ll make it appear that it’s a crime?” said Osmeña.
“The Cebuanos already know what he (Dumpit) has done. He served Cebu City well. And I believe in him, and many Cebuanos believed in him,” he added.
PRO – 7 recently announced that they will be taking pictures of any policeman who will visit the wake of Dumpit at a funeral home on Junquera Street, Cebu City.
At that time, Osmeña, who had been closely working with Dumpit since 2004 when the latter was designated by the former to be part of the Hunter Team, an elite police unit tasked to run after criminals, refused to comment on the matter.
But on Monday, PRO – 7 director, Chief Supt. Debold Sinas, announced that they will also place cops under a background check if they are seen
visiting the funeral of Dumpit.
Burial
Meanwhile, Josephine Dumpit, the slain cop’s ex-wife, told Cebu Daily News that the remains of the controversial multi-awarded police official will be buried at the Queen City Memorial Garden at around noon today.
She said she is expecting a large crowd to join today’s funeral procession and burial rites.
“Di man nato malikayan naay mukuyog sa lubong, labi na tung mga ni-idolo gyud niya. Kami sa pamilya, gusto mi simple ra ang among paghatod (We cannot avoid the fact that there may be many people who will join the funeral procession, especially those who idolized him. We, in the family, we just want to keep it simple),” said Josephine.
She said a Mass will be held at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral this morning.
Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) Chief Francisco Ouano said they will be deploying four traffic enforcers, a big-bike and a patrol car to provide assistance to Dumpit’s funeral procession.
“It is one way for our team to help Chief Dumpit who has helped Cebu City in addressing criminality. We’re still waiting for the specific route of the procession but we anticipate a huge crowd to join it,” said Ouano.