Rama’s staff nabbed for brandishing gun

An executive assistant of Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama was arrested after scaring off customers in an eatery where he showed up drunk and brandishing a gun in barangay Labangon Saturday evening.

Dennis Jabonero, 61, was disarmed by an employee and remains detained in jail.

Charges of grave threats were filed yesterday against Jabonero, the former executive director of the City Traffic Operations Management (Citom).

Chief Insp. Arthur dela Rosa, police chief of Punta Police, said students of the Cebu Institute of Technology University who were eating in Tres de Abril panicked when they saw Jabonero brandishing his gun.

This was witnessed by eatery helpers Joseph Binas and Jefferson Gayon.

The two said Jabonero entered looking drunk and started poking his gun at them and everyone he came across.

Gayon said he was able to grab the government-issued .9mm gun from Jabonero, who was too dazed to react and just stood looking blank.

Binas, who got scared hid in a corner and managed to call the police.Jabonero did not resist arrest when policemen arrived.

P02 Bernard Neprija, desk officer of Punta Police said Jabonero tested positive for liquor intake at the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC).

The Cebu city government will conduct its own administrative investigation.

“We will ask him to explain considering that this is a government issued firearm. From that we will determine what course of action to take,” said acting mayor Edgar Labella.

This was the second time that Jabonero, a Rama appointee, was accused of abuse.

He was investigated for violation of the Comelec gun ban earlier but the complaint was dismissed for lack of evidence, said Dominic Dino, head of the city’s Human Resources Development Office.

Jabonero could not be reached for comment. He rejected calls to his mobile phone yesterday.

Dino said that Jabonero is a casual worker detailed as executive assistant under the Office of the Mayor.

He risks the loss of his job if the gun poking incident against him is proven true.

If he’s convicted of a criminal offense, this would be a basis for termination of his employment, said Labella.

The eatery workers also have the option to file administrative complaints at City Hall and the Office of the Visayas Ombudsman.

Dino said the city’s committee on discipline and investigation will handle any complaint.

“Since the incident happened on a Saturday, it is not in line with the performance of his duties but if he used a city issued gun, he can be held liable for that. We have to look at the circumstances,” said Dino.