VM accused of coercing suspect
A RESIDENT of Dumanjug town in southwest Cebu filed a complaint against Vice Mayor Efren Gica for allegedly coercing him to vote for him.
Leomar Cabales filed charges of arbitrary detention and domicile against Gica and his brother, Councilor Erwin Gica, at the Ombudsman-Visayas and the Cebu Provincial Prosecutors’ Office.
In a text message, Gica denied Cabales’s charges.
He said he had tanods fetch Cabales from his home, which is located near his property, after hearing allegations that the man was repacking and sniffing shabu there.
In his complaint, Cabales said six armed men entered his aunt’s house in Barangay Li-ong, Dumanjug at 8 p.m. last April 11.
He said the armed men led by a certain Erwin searched their house and accused them of keeping shabu.
Cabales said he and his cousin Carlito Hontiveros were handcuffed and brought to the vice mayor’s house.
The complainant claimed that they were forced by Gica to admit that they were selling illegal drugs.
Later on, Cabales said Gica allegedly told them: “Botari ko para tagaan ta mo ug trabaho (Vote for me and I will give you work).”
“Out of fear, I was forced to agree to the terms that Vice Mayor Gica set,” Cabales said.
He said he and his cousin were then released. The vice mayor refuted Cabales’s claim.
“That’s not true. I told them that I will have them arrested by the police because there are reports that they repack shabu and use shabu at a house near my property. I ordered the tanods in the barangay to go to their house and have them invited to my house,” Gica said.
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