Cebuano policeman accused of aiming rifle at Masbate governor during Sinulog grand parade charged

SORRY DOESN’T MAKE IT ANYMORE. SPO1 Arthur Sabang (above) of the Cebu City Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) unit allegedly endangered the lives of Masbate local officials led by Gov. Rizalina Seachon Lanete and Placer Mayor Joshua Lanete (CDN PHOTO/ JUNJIE MENDOZA)

A Cebu City policeman who allegedly pointed a rifle at the governor of Masbate and her son who is mayor of a town in the said province in a commotion at the entrance gate of the Cebu City Sports Center that nearly marred the Sinulog grand parade last Sunday is now facing a criminal complaint before the prosecutor’s office.

Gov. Rizalina Seachon-Lanete and her son, Placer Mayor Joshua Judd Lanete II were the signatories in a complaint filed yesterday afternoon  against SPO1 Arthur Sabang, who is assigned to the city’s Special Weapons and Tactics unit.

The prosecutor’s office refused to reveal details of the complaint.

Senior Supt. Conrado Capa, deputy regional director of the Police Regional Office 7 and acting director of the Cebu City Police Office, said he will have the incident investigated.

The Lanetes led the Kulturang Placereño contingent which won this year’s one million peso grand prize for again placing first in the Sinulog-based category. The group also placed third in the street dancing category. The Placereños won the grand prize last year.

Sources said the Lanetes initially decided not to make a fuss out of the incident and went on to participate in the grand parade and even attended Monday’s awarding ceremony.

Cebu City officials were told of the incident.

“I knew about it. What’s important to me is for the rule of law (to prevail). There won’t be sacred cows,” Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama told reporters yesterday.

Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella said the Masbate officials themselves told him about the incident during the awarding ceremony and encore performance of the winning contingents.

He said Sabang won’t be given any special treatment.

“It’s a legitimate grievance. If there’s a violation of law, they should be treated in accordance with the law,” Labella, who is also the chairman of the Police Coordinating and Advisory Council, said.

Sabang yesterday
The incident, which allegedly happened at 7:20 p.m. near the CCSC entrance gate at the corner of R.R. Landon and Osmeña Blvd., was recorded in the blotter of the Fuente Police Station on Monday.

In what seemed to be a bid to stave off the filing of a complaint against him, Sabang yesterday issued a public apology which he read before reporters.

“I am very sorry for the inconvenience and uneasiness of your security at the Sinulog event… I performed my duty with utmost caution and maximum tolerance,” he said.

Edgar de Lara, the provincial environment and natural resources officer of Masbate who was among the complainants and who stayed back to oversee the filing of a criminal complaint, said the policeman should be given a lesson.

Masbate local officials Gov. Rizalina Seachon Lanete and Placer Mayor Joshua Lanete

De Lara, a retired policeman, said there were five mayors and several provincial government officials during the incident.

“Such attitude maoy dili pwede baliwalaon,” he said. “A policeman is supposed to serve and protect. How could you protect the people kung ganyan ang attitude niya?”

According to the incident report recorded at the Fuente Police Station, the Masbate officials were rushing to enter the CCSC as the Kulturang Placereño was about to go on stage when Sabang allegedly tried to stop them.

Sabang allegedly pointed an M-16 rifle on Gov. Lanete and Mayor Lanete. The rifle had a lit flashlight attached to its muzzle.

The governor then identified themselves as officials from Masbate. PO2 Joel Salicon Balag-ey, a member of the Police Security Protection Office who was assigned as security detail to Gov. Lanete, also identified himself in a bid to pacify the Cebuano policeman.

“Minumura niya kami (He was cursing us),” De Lara claimed.

“Our governor has introduced herself pero minumura pa ni Sabang,” he said.

But this apparently irked the policeman whom they claimed to have uttered: “God damn it! Hindi kayo taga rito, aarestuhin ko kayo! (You’re not from here, I will arrest you)”
Gov. Lanete has stared death in the face not just once, but twice.

Seachon-Lanete has survived two ambush attacks where three of her bodyguards got killed. She also lost her brother, Fausto Jr., a former congressman, who was also felled by an assassin’s bullet.

Past incidents and ongoing threats to the governor’s safety prompted the PNP to give her a police security detail. /With reports from Ador Vincent S. Mayol and Jose Santino Bunachita

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