NBI-7 denies committing abuse in raid vs. e-sabong in Minglanilla

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 — The National Bureau of Investigation in Central Visayas (NBI-7) has denied accusations that its agents committed abuse during the raid they conducted against a cockpit arena in Minglanilla, Cebu.

The NBI-7 said in the statement released on Thursday, March 2, 2023, that it “takes exception to the published reports on the alleged Abuse in the Service of Search Warrant, Robbery and Grave Misconduct by the NBI-7 Director and operatives.”

“We believe that this issue is related to the refiling of cases by NBI-7 against the illegal e-sabong operators and staff of Amenic n’ Calajoan, who continue to defy the order of the President to stop illegal e-sabong activities,” the NBI-7 said in a statement released on Thursday morning, March 2, 2023. “The same individuals are facing similar charges filed by another law enforcement counterpart, the PNP (Philippine National Police),” the NBI-7 added.

The cashier of a cockpit arena in Barangay Lower Calajoan, Minglanilla town filed last Feb. 28, several complaints against the NBI-7 before the Office of the Ombudsman.

READ: Minglanilla cockpit cashier files complaints against NBI-7

This was five months after the NBI-7 served a search warrant in the said cockpit arena.

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

Cabalquinto filed two criminal and one administrative complaint 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.

Other respondents are administrative aide Audie Ybiernas, job order employees Erman Mier and Mark Dominique Nadela, and one civilian Michael (Mikol) Castro.

Arma, said 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.

To date, the NBI-7 said it has yet to receive a copy of the formal complaint filed against them.

Nonetheless, once furnished with the copy, the NBI said it will answer all the allegations in accordance with the legal procedure and in the proper forum.

“Rest assured that the NBI will continue to resolutely perform its mandate in providing quality investigative services to the public,” the statement read.

/bmjo

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