Dumanjug still not on watchlist

Dumanjug vice mayor Efren Gica (left) confronts arrested murder suspect Bemar James Mejares about his ties with barangay councilman Wilfredo Albios and Marciano Tiwan, who were shot dead by police. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)

The  Commission in Elections  regional office (Comelec-7) said it’s too early to place Dumanjug town under their watchlist despite the shootout between police and suspects of a strafing incident last Wednesday dawn.

“Tomorrow (December 11), I will be in the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) to discuss with them the security plans as well as how to come up with solutions in Dumanjug,” Comelec  provincial supervisor Lionel Marco Castillano told reporters.

Castillano said they are coordinating with the Philippine National Police (PNP) in order to mitigate threats in the area.

Dumanjug Vice Mayor Efren Gica earlier echoed Castillano’s sentiments on the incident.

“It is too early for them to declare, but if that is for the security of our constituents, then it can be,” Gica said.

Last Wednesday dawn, barangay councilman Wilfredo Albios and Marciano Tiwan was killed  in a shootout with police in sitio Lusno, barangay Lagin in Ronda town.

The shooting occurred at the boundary of the towns of Dumanjug, Ronda and Argao.

The two men were suspected of strafing and lobbing a grenade at  the parked black Mitsubishi Pajero owned by Liberal Party (LP) Cebu vice mayoral candidate Rainero Asentista, Gica’s running mate.

Wilfredo’s wife Jennifer said her husband was a former escort of Dumanjug Mayor Nelson Garcia during the 2013 elections.

Senior Supt. Noel Gillamac, Cebu provincial police chief, defended Senior Insp. Arvi Arbuis from allegations made against  him by Dumanjug Mayor Nelson Garcia that he was biased for Gica.

The mayor earlier aired his doubts that the encounter with  the police  was a rubout, not a shootout, and called on the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to investigate the incident.

“There are accusations on both sides. I suggest to the opposing political camps of  Garcia and Gica to seek assistance from the NBI or other independent investigation bodies parallel to their own inquiry,” Gillamac said.

He said five candidates were sent to Mayor Garcia as a possible replacement for Arbuis.

One  of them is Insp. Julius Ompad, chief of the neighboring Barili municipal police.

“We will not deprive Mayor Garcia of his right to choose the police chief, but our only request is for the contending political parties to spare our chief of police since they are only doing their  jobs,” Gillamac said.

Arbuis said Albios was in their watchlist of suspected shabu  pushers capable of disposing 20 to 30 packs a week.

Last Wednesday’s shootout also resulted in  the arrest of Bemar James Mejares, an alleged member of a gun-for-hire group wanted on murder charges.

Arbuis said he was  confident that  results of the paraffin test on  the two fatalities would show they did fire guns at the police. He said he expected the mayor  to replace him as police  chief. “I’m 120 percent ready to leave my post,” he said.