Barangay captain to sue village councilwoman over ‘mauling’ incident

BARANGAY Captain Antonio Caruzca of Pahina San Nicholas in Cebu City is set to file charges against a councilwoman of his village and five others who were allegedly responsible for mauling him on Saturday.

Caruzca told Cebu Daily News yesterday that he would file before the City Prosecutor’s Office direct assault charges against Barangay Councilwoman Rosel Luces and five other individuals, including Edsel Luces, Rosel’s brother and the driver of Cebu City Mayor-elect Tomas Osmeña.

Caruzca went to Chong Hua Hospital in Cebu City yesterday to get a medical check up, the result of which he would use as the basis for his complaint.

He claimed he suffered injuries in the head, bruises at the eye and at his breast after Luces and five companions barged into his office at the barangay hall on Saturday morning and allegedly ganged up on him after an argument that was prompted by his order to remove the basketball board and ring placed along C. Padilla Street.

“Nasuko sila nga akong gipatangtang. Daghan naman nang reklamo anang basketball ring. Ultimo ang Simbahan pud. Ako na gipatangtang kay national road man na (They were angry when I ordered the removal of the basketball ring. I received many complaints over it, even from the church nearby. I removed it because it was in a national road),” he said.

He said the basketball board and ring has been obstructing traffic along C. Padilla, a major thoroughfare since public utility jeeps (PUJ) plying the Basak-Inayawan-Alumnos route pass through the street.

Caruzca said he decided to go to court because he was certain he would not get a fair treatment if he would seek help from the incoming mayor or his wife, Acting Mayor Margarita “Margot” Osmeña.

Caruzca is a member of Team Rama while Luces is identified with Bando Osmena Pundok Kasuwagan (BO-PK).

Caruzca, who used to be a BO-PK member, said he would also file similar complaints against Luces and the others before the Office of the Ombudsman in the Visayas and the Department of Interior and Local Governments (DILG).

CDN tried to reach Luces but to no avail. Acting Mayor Osmena likewise refused to comment on the matter. But she said Caruzca could go to Cebu City Council for his complaint.