Witness’ “guard” arrested at Archbishop’s Palace
A man was arrested by security personnel at the Archbishop's Palace yesterday for entering the compound with a gun for which he could not show documents.
The man, Jerry Lou Labra, 38, said he went to the Archbishop's Palace upon instruction of his boss, Jose Merlito Repoha, to secure Charmain Puran, the witness in the killing of five people in Barangay Malubog, Cebu City last Thursday.
Puran sought shelter with the church after refusing help from the police.
Labra, a resident of Barangay Guadalupe, said he is a member of the barangay’s Task Force Motorsiklo, a part of the Barangay Intelligence Network (BIN), which the police consider as a force multiplier.
He is also reportedly a member of the security team that patrols the South Road Properties, which was why he was bringing the .38 caliber revolver seized from him. He had reportedly just come from duty yesterday.
Chief Insp. Eduard Sanchez said the cops securing the Archbishop’s Palace flagged Labra down because of the suspicious sling bag he was carrying. There, the cops found the gun but Labra could not show documents to support his ownership of the firearm.
He said he was among the select BIN members provided with a gun as a protective measure against lawless elements, especially during night patrol.
He said he was actually at the Archbishop’s Palace last Saturday also to secure Puran.
He denied insinuations he was there to kill the witness.
“Naka-duty ko gikan… nadala ra to nako kay gadali-dali man ko kay kali-kalit man nga sugo… wala ko’y dautang tuyo… gisugo ra gyud ko didto para pabantayan lage to ang babaye,” Labra said.
But Sanchez said force multipliers are not allowed to bring guns. He said the police will speak with Labra’s boss to ascertain his claims.
MALUBOG CASE
Meanwhile, Police Regional Office – 7 Director Debold Sinas said they are not disappointed with Puran’s decision refusing help from the police.
He said Puran is being used in the case.
“Dili man (not disappointed)… naluoy lang ko sa iyaha (because) nagpagamit siya ug expected na namo iyang statements kay naa mga tao sa likod niya,” Sinas said.
Puran and another supposed survivor, Antonio Belandre, have claimed that it was the police who arrested them in Banawa, Guadalupe and brought them to the mountain barangay of Malubog where they and several others were made to ride a van, which the cops later peppered with bullets.
Both Puran and Belandre have stopped issuing statements even as Sinas claimed the two of them denied pinning the police down during Sinas’ visit to the hospital.
Sinas said the investigation into the shooting will be led by Cebu City Police Office Director Royina Garma, Mabolo Police chief Dindo Alaras, and SPO4 Antonio Din.
“We are not only looking at the testimonies of the two witnesses as evidence but also on the physical evidence, since it is backed by science… the firearms were subject for laboratory examination and so were the vehicles,” he said.
Garma said they would eventually need to get Puran and Belandre’s written statements.
“Hindi natin maclassify kung sino ang mas mabigat ang statement sa dalawa… puwede kasing sobra, puwede rin kulang, depende iyan sa influence na pinagdaanan… we are not discounting their statements, and we will use it as guide,” she said.
Investigation will also look into the drugs angle, considering that shabu amounting to 150 grams worth P1.7 million was recovered from the crime scene.