Garcia asked to present witnesses against Gica

Nelson Garcia (CDN FILE PHOTO)

A provincial police official is asking suspended Dumanjug Mayor Nelson Garcia to prove his allegations that acting Dumanjug mayor, Vice Mayor Efren Gica, and Efren’s brother, councilor Erwin Gica, have employed three police officers as their personal bodyguards.

Senior Supt. Noel Gillamac said yesterday he was inviting Garcia to visit the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) and bring witnesses to prove his allegations.

“This is of course to determine if the allegations were true. If  proven true, the three police officers will face administrative charges including the Dumanjug police chief if he allowed this to happen,” said Gillamac, who is the Provincial Investigation and Detection Management Branch (PIDMB) chief.

Garcia earlier sent a letter to the Cebu Provincial Police Office asking for an investigation into the alleged use of three police officers and some members of the Special Weapons and Tactics team as personal bodyguards of the Gica brothers.

Acting Mayor Gica has denied the allegations.

Garcia, for his part, told Cebu Daily News in an interview yesterday that he was willing to bring witnesses to the Cebu Provincial Police Office, but his action might be misconstrued as politically motivated.

Garcia encouraged Gillamac, instead, to send his men to check on what is happening in Dumanjug.
“Isn’t it their job to look for witnesses?” Garcia asked.

“What if I provide the witnesses and they will say that the witnesses are less credible because I am the one who brought them there,” Garcia told CDN in Cebuano.

He claimed that most of the witnesses he knew were being threatened by acting mayor Gica.

He said that even the town police chief is not getting himself involved and is keeping his silence on this matter.

Acting mayor Gica earlier said he would only believe Garcia’s allegations if these would appear in the town police’s blotter.

He accused Garcia of making the allegations for media mileage.

Gillamac also told CDN that acting mayor Gica  had earlier requested for a police escort after he received threats to his life.

He, however, said that he did not receive reports of  Garcia’s allegations of police harassment.

“We have to provide security to local chief executives. If something  happens to them, we will also have to answer as public servants. But we always have to consider to stay being non-partisans,” Gillamac said.

Gillamac said that as soon as the affidavits will be executed by the witnesses provided by Garcia, a pre-charge evaluation will be made.