A photo grab from the video recording of the confrontation between Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, Councilor Mary Ann delos Santos and personnel from the City Highway Patrol Group in a police checkpoint in Barangay Kasambagan, Sunday night, April 28 ./ Photo from Osmeña’s FB page
CEBU CITY, Philippines — One of Cebu City Councilor Mary Ann delos Santos’ aides has filed several charges against a group of police personnel, who allegedly harassed him while conducting a checkpoint on Sunday night, April 28 in Barangay Kasambagan.
William Armian Jr. filed charges on grave misconduct, violation of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, and violation of the guidelines for establishing a Commission on Election (Comelec) checkpoint against Police Police Major Chuck Barandog, the chief of the Cebu City Mobile Force Company and an unknown number of “John Does.”
Armian filed the charges at the Office of the Ombudsman on Tuesday afternoon, April 30.
In his affidavit, Armian said that he identified Barandog through the officer’s name tag. He was not able to identify the names of the other policemen because they were wearing vests.
READ Garma threatens charge vs Tomas, Mary Ann for disregard of a police checkpoint
READ De los Santos challenges credibility of video on checkpoint altercation with police
Armian claimed that he was tailing delos Santos’ car when some policemen told him to stop at a checkpoint area and verbally harassed him.
Armian said he was terrified that the police might plant “fake evidence” on him and so he asked them that he be allowed to open his own bag.
“I was really scared, frightened, and terrified, especially when Police Major Barandog uttered ‘Patyon tika ron’ (I will kill you) while he was holding a firearm and it was pointed at me. I feared for my life and I want justice to be served,” said Armian in his affidavit.
Lawyer Ge Lee, Armian’s legal counsel, told CDN Digital that they are hoping the policemen will be sanctioned with a preventive suspension while the case is ongoing.
“It is one of our prayers that, pending investigation, a preventive suspension be issued against the respondents,” said Lee in a text message to CDN Digital.
Lee said they are confident the case will progress and hopes that the Office of the Ombudsman will see the merits of the case.
In a recent statement, the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) said they will be filing a case against Mayor Tomas Osmeña and his running mate, delos Santos, for reportedly disregarding the police checkpoint on the evening of April 28.
CCPO Director Colonel Royina Garma said that based on the video showing how Osmeña and delos Santos confronted the police, the actions of the candidates can be considered as “harassment” to the police.
Garma said that Osmeña and delos Santos disregarded the checkpoint and doing so is already a violation of the law.
CDN Digital tried to reach Barandog but he was not available for a comment as of this writing. / celr