Minglanilla cockpit cashier files complaints against NBI-7

Lawyer Louie Arma, spokesperson of the complainant, Mary Cris Cabalquinto, cashier of the Amenic N’ Calajoan Cockpit, shows a copy of the complaint they filed before the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas against NBI-7 on Tuesday, February 28, 2023. CDN Digital photo |  Jessa Ngojo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Five months after agents of the National Bureau of Investigation in Central Visayas (NBI-7) served a search warrant in a cockpit arena in Barangay Lower Calajoan, Minglanilla town, its cashier filed complaints against the agency at the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas on Tuesday, February 28, 2023.

In an interview and the documents provided, Lawyer Louie Arma, spokesperson of the complainant, Mary Cris Cabalquinto, cashier of the Amenic N’ Calajoan Cockpit, said that the complainant filed complaints of abuse in the service of a search warrant, robbery, and grave misconduct against NBI-7.

The Office of the Ombudsman Visayas received the complaint at 11:41 a.m. on Tuesday, February 28, as shown in the signed document.

Two criminal and one administrative complaints were filed against NBI-7 director Rennan Oliva,  his supervising agents identified as Wenceslao Galindez and Donaver Inesin; and NBI-7 agents Contessa Lastimoso, Agapito Gierran, Beinvenido Panacean, and Nino Rodriguez.

Administrative aide Audie Ybiernas, job order employees Erman Mier and Mark Dominique Nadela, and one civilian Michael (Mikol) Castro, were among those individuals filed with the same complaints.

It can be recalled that NBI-7 agents served the search warrant for alleged e-sabong operations in this cockpit arena last September 16, 2022, wherein 39 individuals were arrested, including the two alleged operators.

READ: 2 E-sabong operators, 37 workers nabbed in Minglanilla

According to Arma, the complainant filed the ‘abuse in the service of a search warrant’ after they allegedly searched the areas not mentioned or included in the search warrant.

“Naay description nga specific sa search warrant ang wala gi follow. Didto sila ni search sa area nga wala gi describe sa search warrant. Ang gi describe sa search warrant is container van kay naa daw didto nag office. Naa daw nag operate ang online business. Instead of searching that portion, maybe nianha sila, but they went beyond. Mas dako nga area ilang gikuha nga way kalabotan sa search warrant,” Arma said.

(There was a description that was specific in the search warrant that was not followed. They searched in the areas not described in the search warrant. What was described in the search warrant is a container van because the office was said to be there. The online business was said to be operating there. Instead of searching that portion–maybe they went there–but they went beyond. They covered a bigger area that wasn’t part of the search warrant.)

“Second, grave misconduct because law enforcement officers are expected to protect the people, not the other way around,” he added.

Arma said that the complainant also filed robbery complaints after NBI-7 allegedly reported P2.5 million cash proceeds taken from the cockpit arena but the complainant claimed that they lost P8.3 million.

Arma said it took months before the complainant decided to file these complaints because she had apprehensions at that time.

“NBI is dili basta-basta nga entity. Naa poy apprehensions on the part of the complainant, especially nga babay siya,” Arma said.

(NBI is not just a simple entity. There were apprehensions on the part of the complainant, especially that she’s a woman.)

Oliva, meanwhile, said they are ready to respond to the complaints once they will receive the copies.

/bmjo

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