OSMEÑA THREATENS TO FILE RAPS VS. POLICE
Cebu City mayor wants the organization to produce the gun license and the permit to carry of Michael Banua, who drove the motorcycle ridden by PO3 Eugene Calumba when the latter was shot dead by the driver of Tejero Barangay Councilor Cadungog last month
Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña is threatening to file charges against the police, including the highest official in the region, if they fail to show the gun license of Michael Banua and his permit to carry.
Banua was the driver of PO3 Eugene Calumba when the latter was shot dead by the driver of Tejero Barangay Councilor Jessielou Cadungog.
In his news conference yesterday, Osmeña said he will put into writing his request to ask the police to release Banua’s gun license and his permit to carry.
But if they will not respond, the mayor said he will file a case against the law enforcers.
“How come a civilian asset is armed and why are you getting an asset who is not from here? That’s a very obvious distortion as I see it,” he told reporters.
The general Osmeña was referring to is Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 Director Chief Supt. Debold Sinas.
Osmeña has also challenged Cebu City Police Office Director Senior Supt. Royina Garma to produce Banua’s gun license and his permit to carry.
But the mayor said said he has no plans to augment the security of Cadungog and his bodyguard-driver William Macaslang Jr. after they were released from detention.
“How can I give them security? I’m not the police. I can’t even get security for myself,” he said.
Osmeña also denied paying Macaslang’s bail of P156,000.
Motion for reconsideration
Meanwhile, PRO 7 officials believe they have a strong case against Cadungog.
Supt. Edhel Pereira, the regional police legal officer, yesterday said they will file a motion for reconsideration, hoping the panel of prosecutors will reverse its decision that dismissed for lack of evidence the murder and frustrated murder comedly
plaints against Cadungog last week.
Pereira said they have yet to receive the prosecutors’ joint resolution.
“We were surprised (by the panel of prosecutors’ decision) because we believed they would be filing the case (in court) that we have filed,” he said.
Osmeña said they might threaten prosecutors to reconsider their decision.
“Is that what they will do? It’s what I think they will do,” he said.
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In a separate interview, PRO 7 Director Sinas said that the police might file the motion after his conference with police investigators where they will discuss the panel’s decision.
Cadungog and Macaslang were charged over Calumba’s death last July 30.
The Cebu Provincial Prosecutor’s Office found enough evidence to charge Macaslang with homicide before the Regional Trial Court in Cebu City.
They also indicted Macaslang for attempted homicide for shooting Banua.
Police have denied that Calumba was in Tejero last July 30 to kill Cadungog. They said he and Banua were there to conduct surveillance on illegal drugs activities.