Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgar Labella says giving the police a 10-day ultimatum to solve the strafing incidents in the three mountain barangays of Cebu City is unfair. (CDN FILE PHOTO)
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella said the 10-day ultimatum given by Mayor Tomas Osmeña to solve the strafing incidents of the houses of three mountain barangay chiefs is unfair to the police.
“You cannot give a number of days. You cannot also turn the tide if dili nimo masulbad (if it can’t be solved). Let us give them time,” said Labella after an event to commemorate Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor) at the Plaza Independencia on Tuesday, April 9, 2019.
Labella said it was unfair for the Mayor to threaten the police that they will be accused of committing the crimes if they could not solve the incident within the given period.
Read more: Osmeña gives 10 days for CCPO to solve strafing of barangay chiefs’ homes
Labella said the city is safe for most of the citizens who have respect for the rule of law.
However, he still urged the public to be vigilant and cooperate with the police to maintain a safe and secure Cebu City.
In the early morning of April 4, 2019, the houses of the barangay chiefs of Malubog, Sudlon II, and Sinsin were peppered with bullets in three different incidents.
These barangay chiefs are members of the Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kasuwagan (BO-PK), the political party of Osmeña.
On the same day, Osmeña warned the police that they will be accused of committing the three separate crimes if they could not solve the strafing incidents within 10 days.
Read more: Garma on Osmeña’s 10-day deadline: It’s a childish way of solving something
This statement was called “childish” by Colonel Royina Garma, director of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO).
In previous statements, lawyer Marchel Sarno, Commission on Elections (Comelec) officer for South District, said the 10 days is a reasonable time to investigate the case, but the police should not be pressured to solve it immediately.
The Comelec is also thinking about raising the Election Watchlist Areas (Ewas) status of Cebu City because of the incidents.
Read more: Comelec Cebu City chief: 10-day deadline on cops for strafing incidents’ probe reasonable, but …
Sudlon II Barangay Captain Priscillo Albores said that more police officers are now patrolling their barangay since the incident.
Albores hopes the police can find the perpetrators soon so he and his family can sleep peacefully in their home. / celr