Bañas admits lapses in Moalboal operation

Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III (center) awards Senior Supt. Noel Gillamac (left), Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) director, for CCPO’s accomplishments in the fight against illegal drugs. The awarding ceremony is witnessed by Chief Supt. Tom Bañas, Police Regional Office (PRO-7) director.
(CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)

The top official of the Police Regional Office (PRO-7) in Central Visayas admitted there were lapses in the operation that led to the death of two policemen in Moalboal town Friday night.

Chief Supt. Prudencio Tom Bañas, PRO-7 Regional Director, said that it is standard operating procedure to not to hold raids at night.

“Let us do it at daytime and let us take the necessary precaution.  That should have been a good accomplishment on the part of the policemen who conducted the raid if only security precautions and measures were observed,” said Bañas.

He has tasked Supt. Conrad Capa, deputy regional director for operations, to conduct an investigation on the incident and Capa reported to him that there were some lapses in the conduct of illegal drug operation against Michael Aquino, a notorious drug personality in the town.

Bañas said that he is now asking for the full report from Cebu Provincial Police Office Director Senior Supt. Noel Gillamac so that they can “institute measures.”

“I sound like a broken record to our policemen that this is not a game. We are against hard core criminal elements especially if they are using drugs. We should not be lax. Illegal drugs had a strong effect on them that they will think they are superman because of a different psychological make up,” he said.

But Bañas said that their intensified campaign against illegal drugs will not stop because they lost members of the PNP.

“This will motivate us to do more and look after those people responsible for this,” he added.

Bañas attended the weekly flag raising ceremony at the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) headquarters yesterday with Gov. Hilario Davide III.

The flag at CCPO flies at half-mast as a way to grieve over the death of PO3 Fabio Fernandez and PO1 Alrasid Jimlani.

In a separate interview, Supt. Rodolfo Albtra Jr., head of the Provincial Intelligence Branch (PIB), said that they are verifying names based on intelligence reports that the gunmen might be involved in gun-for-hire operations.

“We are assuring the public we will not stop until justice is served,” said Albotra.

Last Sunday dawn, 28-year-old mall employee Ezrael Ocariza surrendered to Fuente Police to clear his name in relation to the death of the two Moalboal police.

He is now detained at the station for further investigation.

In the afternoon of the same day, Eric Lendio, one of the four persons who escaped during the raid, surrendered to Alegria police. He was later transferred to Moalboal police for investigation.

The families of  the two Moalboal policemen will receive financial assistance from the provincial government, Davide announced yesterday.
In his speech, the governor said that the incident last Friday, though unfortunate, taught them lessons.

“Security is of utmost importance during these kind of operations. Even the police need security among themselves,” he said.

The governor said that the provincial government will help the police force in its fight against illegal drugs like acquiring bullet proof vests.

Meanwhile, Provincial Board Member Christopher Baricuatro said the drug problem is not rampant in Moalboal.

Baricuatro, who represents Cebu’s second district in the Provincial Board, yesterday said that the town’s drug problem is only an offshoot of the drug activities of the neighboring towns.

According to reports he received, the drug supply in Moalboal comes from the adjacent Badian town.

Although he does not consider the problem in Moalboal as a serious matter, he fears that if the issue on drugs in the province is not addressed immediately, “narco-politics” will reign across Cebu.