No manipulation in arrest of barangay councilman

“WE won’t be used by anyone.”

This was the response of Cebu City Police Office Director Benjamin Santos Jr. on insinuations that Cebu City policemen were manipulated by Acting Mayor Margarita “Margot” Osmeña to go after barangay officials who refused to return their city-owned vehicles.

“We abide by the rule of law. It applies to everybody. Policemen are here to serve and protect,” he told Cebu Daily News in a phone interview.

“If a person violates the law, we will arrest you. But if you have done nothing wrong, then you don’t have to worry,” he added.

Santos said he has yet to get the identities of the four policemen who accompanied employees of the City Hall’s General Services Office (GSO) who implemented a citizen’s arrest against Barangay Labangon Councilman Rodolfo Tabasa over an unreturned city-owned Toyota Hilux last Friday.

But Santos said the policemen were there to ensure peace and order.

“What transpired was a citizen’s arrest by (GSO employees) who sought police assistance,” he explained.

Santos said the policemen were not prodded or pressured by Osmeña to run after the village officials who belong to Team Rama.

Relief

Santos also denied ordering the relief of Supt. Aileen Recla due to politics. He said it was Police Regional Office Director Patrocinio Comendador Jr. who ordered the relief of Recla as chief of the Investigation and Detection Management Branch (IDMB) effective last June 6.

“I simply followed the order of our regional director,” said Santos who was tight-lipped about the reason behind Recla’s removal from the IDMB.
Recla was the head if the IDMB of the CCPO where Acting Mayor Margarita Osmeña caused the entry into the blotter of the barangay officials who failed to return their service vehicles despite notice, with a complaint for carnapping.

As chief of the IDMB, she should have investigated the incident recorded in their blotter.

While admitting that he ordered Recla’s relief, Comendador said it was because there was a recommendation from the CCPO Director, stating that the office intended to have Recla transferred to a post outside of the city.

Interviewed shortly before the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC-7) meeting in Tagbilaran City, Bohol yesterday, Comendador said Recla’s relief was not because of her failure to arrest barangay officials who refused to return their government-issued vehicles, but rather that Cebu City was already filled with police officers holding the rank of Superintendent.

“We cannot promote those with the rank of Major because there are no positions for superintendent available,” Comendador said.

Meanwhile Santos denied politics had something to do with Recla.

“People surmised that Recla’s relief had something to do with politics but it’s not,” he added.

He said Recla has been with IDMB for quite some time and had to be transferred to another unit.
Arrest

Recla, in an earlier interview, said she believed she was relieved from her post because she failed to arrest the 47 barangay captains and officials who refused to return the city-issued vehicles.

She said she found no reason to arrest the barangay officials because there were no arrest warrants issued by the court nor were they caught in the act of carnapping the vehicles.

Comendador said the arrest of Tabasa was an operation that was the prerogative of the CCPO.

“That was their police action because it was a local issue,” Comendador said.