ABC president and ex-officio Councilor Philip Zafra delivers his privilege speech before the three members of the Cebu City Council presided by Acting Vice Mayor Leah Japson., demanding an explanation by the GSO on the arrest of Labangon Barangay Councilor Rodolfo Tabasa. (CDN PHOTO/TONEE DESPOJO)
Zafra decries Tabasa arrest in Privilege Speech
The Cebu City Council composed of three Team Rama councilors, yesterday approved three resolutions contained in the Privilege Speech of Philip Zafra, president of the Association of Barangay Councils and ex-officio member of the council.
These are: to ask General Services Office (GSO) Officer-in-Charge Ronald Malacora to explain in writing within 10 days, the role of his office and two of its personnel in the arrest of Labangon Barangay Councilor Rodolfo Tabasa last Friday; to request the Cebu City Police Office to inform the Council if there is a case filed against barangay officials who refused to return their city-issued service vehicles or whether there is a standing order to arrest them; and to request the GSO to give them a copy of the Memorandum Receipts (MR) of the vehicles issued by the city from 2010 up to the present.
He decried Tabasa’s arrest by two GSO personnel accompanied by policemen and expressed his suspicion that the two GSO employees were actually ordered to arrest Tabasa.
He said he was told by an informant that there was an order for his arrest for carnapping.
“I for one did not take it seriously because I believe that no person in his right mind would ever do or order other people to do that in the first place, that is why I salute Police Supt. (Aileen) Recla for not following such order,” Zafra said.
Recla headed the Investigation and Detection Management Bureau (IDMB) where Acting Mayor Margot Osmeña caused the entry into the blotter of the barangay officials who refused to return their government-issued vehicles, with a complaint for carnapping and malversation of public property.
Welcome
Zafra said they welcomed the filing of cases against them with the Ombudsman saying it will “give us a chance to air out our side to a proper forum and if only to settle the issue once and for all.”
He said they had written the acting mayor asking for reconsideration on the recall of their vehicles and treat vehicles issued to the barangays as a separate matter because these are used for emergencies and were assigned to them through an ordinance.
“And sad to say, we never got a reply and to think that we have sent her a letter twice,” he lamented.
“I received an information, warning me that there is an order for my arrest. I asked what the arrest for? Accordingly, for carnapping and the intention according to my informant was just to humiliate me and likewise to demoralize the rest of the barangay officials,” he said.
But he was also informed that no policeman would back their arrest because there was no factual basis that would stand scrutiny in court.
“On record, we maintain our stand that the police has no legal basis to arrest us. There is no warrant for our arrest. There is no carnapping, the service vehicles were assigned to us by virtue of a budget ordinance or a resolution,” Zafra said.
Malacora meanwhile declined to comment on Zafra’s resolution asking him to explain the involvement of his office on the arrest of Tabasa until he can obtain an official copy of the resolution from the city council.
“Paaboton lang nato. Tubagon lang nato sa saktong panahon. Unya ato lang i-refer sa abogado kay under oath man (Let’s just wait. We will answer at the right time and will refer this to our lawyers),” he said.