Cop chief relieved for not returning ex-solon’s gun

THE chief of Mandaue City Police Office’s (MCPO) Station 4 was relieved from his post yesterday after he allegedly failed to return the firearms of former Bacolod congressman Anthony Golez Jr.

Chief Insp. Philip Lozada Silva was replaced by Senior Insp. Hugo Rio Ipong of MCPO’s City Intelligence Branch (CIB).

The order was signed by Senior Supt. Petronelli Baldebrin, MCPO director.

Baldebrin denied that the transfer of Silva was caused by the latter’s refusal to return the firearms to Golez, TV5 Cebu reported.

Kim Rose Tan, the estranged live-in partner of Golez, was saddened by Baldebrin’s decision to replace Silva. She be- lieves a politician is behind the police official’s transfer.

Last Feb. 5, she turned over one MH3 Carbine, one machine gun, two .45 pistols and a .22 pistol to the police station in Barangay Casuntingan. She feared that these firearms will be used against her.

Complaint

Tan said she will file a kidnapping complaint before the Mandaue City Prosecutor’s Office today against Golez for taking their threeyear-old son from their residence last Jan. 30.

Tan had filed a complaint against Golez for allegedly violating Republic Act (RA) 9262, or the Anti-Violence against Women and Their Children Act(VAWC) of 2004.

The case is pending before the sala of Regional Trial Court Branch 56 Judge Teresita Galanida, who issued a temporary protection order (TPO) against Golez last Feb. 4.

The TPO was served last Feb. 5.

However, Tan said the Makati City RTC Branch 136 issued a TPO against her on the same day.

Golez’s lawyers filed a motion asking Galanida to dismiss the VAWC case, saying the court has no jurisdiction over it.

The motion further states that the case cannot be heard before RTC Branch 56 because Golez is a resident of San Lorenzo Village in Makati City.

Aside from the VAWC case, Tan said she also filed last week a petition before the Court of Appeals in Manila for the issuance of a writ of habeas corpus, which, if granted, would compel Golez to produce their son.

Denial

Golez, in an earlier report, denied that his son with Tan is missing or kidnapped.

“This is also not a case of violence against a woman. On the contrary, it is about a mother who has a pending criminal case for child abuse. Also, a Makati RTC (Regional Trial Court) has already issued a Temporary Protection Order against the mother, which, among others, has necessarily granted me custody over our minor child,” he said in a press statement.