Tiu gets support

DESPITE ALL CLAIMS & BLAME

Despite the allegations thrown against Chief Inspector Wildemar Tiu of the Fuente Police Station and his men, representatives of business establishments along Mango Avenue attested that Tiu’s management has led to lesser crimes and fewer street children roaming the area.

Tiu is being held responsible for the death of Chastity Mirabiles, a street child was reportedly picked up by the Fuente Police on Easter Sunday and brought to their station where, some claim, she was beaten up.

A pharmacy owner who requested not to be named said they noticed lesser crimes in their area due to increased police visibility especially at night. He added peace and order improved in their area with Tiu running the police station.

He said before Tiu came along there were police personnel deployed in their area, but they were not present all the time. “Sa una naa’y mga pulis but di kanunay nga naa.

Consistent and mas active na sila karon. Dako’g diperensya. Sa tanang station chiefs, siya mao’y best record,” said the businessman said who has been running the pharmacy along Mango Avenue since 2007.

He said the stability of their businesses depends on the peace and order situation in the area.

Rael Estremos, who has worked as a security guard in one of the establishments in the area for four years now, shared that street children, especially rugby boys, no longer linger along Mango Avenue since Tiu took over.

He said some foreigners used to come to him to ask for help after street children stole their wallets. He also said that some children even dared to loiter in front of the establishment he guards. Estremos himself witnessed street children snatch jewelry from passersby.

“Sa una ang mga Koreano, managan man kay tapok-an sa mga bata. Naa’y manguot, naa sa’y mangayo, sayaw-sayawan ba. Karon pagpuli niya, wa na gyud. Nalinaw na diri,” he said. He added he noticed that now only Badjao children roam to sell face towels in the area.

Estremos said he had not seen a policeman physically abuse delinquent children.

“Makit-an ra nako nga mobadlong nga ayaw mo diri. Ako man sad mamadlong kay lain tan-awon,” he said.

A cashier in an eatery along Mango Avenue who only introduced herself as a certain “Dolly” agreed with Estremos saying that she has not seen a street child maltreated by a policeman.

She said that she was surprised to hear the allegations against the Fuente police but added she hopes the truth will come out.

Meanwhile, Philippine National Police Academy Alumni–Region 7 former president and Provincial Intelligence Branch chief, Superintendent Rodolfo Albotra, said Tiu deserves to be given the benefit of the doubt and the chance to express his side despite all the fingers pointing at him as the one responsible for Chastity’s death.

“He has the right to defend himself aron mahibawan sad unsa’y tinuod nga

storya. It would hurt us, being members of the PNP organization, hearing such accusations and statements against Tiu,” he said.

Albotra said Tiu is very serious in his anti-crime operations as evidenced by his major accomplishments.

“Personally, as I know Major Tiu, he is a good officer, a good man and his accomplishments will speak for himself,” he said.

Albotra urged the public to check the professional background of Tiu and his contribution to the PNP organization.

“Aron makita sad nato unsa sad iyang gipangbuhat

gyud,” he said. The Fuente Police Station has denied Chastity was among those they picked up before she was found dead, claiming her name does not appear in their Pink Blotter.

NBI

Yesterday, the family the girl formally asked the National Bureau of Investigation-7 to investigate the case.

Attended by NBI-7 assistant regional director Augusto Eric Isidoro, Chastity’s grandfather Renato Mirabiles Sr. and mother Noemi Mirabiles, narrated what they knew about Chastity’s death.

Isidoro said aside from the three-man investigating team led by agent Renan Oliva, he will also assign an investigator specializing in child investigation to assist them. He added their men have already located a witness, who was allegedly with Chastity on April 5 when they were allegedly picked up by Fuente policemen. The witness was in the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Services.

The autopsy report by NBI-7 medico-legal officer Dr. Rene Cam is also being readied to support the judicial affidavit of the complainant and of the witness, according to Isidoro. The report disclosed Chastity died of blunt traumatic injuries and was possibly hit by a hard object.

Renato said though he suspects policemen mauled Chastity he does not discount the possibility she might also have been mauled by Noemi’s live-in partner.

Isidoro said their office will look into all possible angles.

CONFLICTING

FINDINGS

Meanwhile, Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella is worried investigations by different agencies will yield conflicting findings. This after he asked the Office of the Ombudsman to investigate Chastity’s death.

In an April 24 letter addressed to Deputy Ombudsman Paul Elmer Clemente, Labella, as chairman of the Police Coordinating and Advisory Council, requested the former to look into the incident.

“As a public servant and practitioner of law, I am worried that too many agencies are conducting their own investigation… We hope to maintain objectivity in the conduct of this sensitive investigation. I strongly believe with the Office of the Ombudsman in charge of fact-finding we can achieve this and ultimately restore citizen’s trust in the city’s police,” he said.

Labella, also a former Ombudsman director, suggested Clemente create a task force composed of the NBI, the PNP and the Commission on the Human Rights.

“This is a high-profile case. Ombudsman has to take over so that there will be no bias and partial investigation. Only one office should come up with the result,” he said explaining that Ombudsman has a criminal disciplinary jurisdiction against public officials and policemen.

Labella said the police, being a public office, is part of the public sphere and under the jurisdiction of the Ombudsman. Section 15 of the Republic Act 6770 (Ombudsman Act of the Philippines) provides that Ombudsman has primary jurisdiction over public officials.

Section 15.1 of the same act states that the Office of the Ombudsman has the power to, “investigate and prosecute on its own any public officer or employee, office or agency when such act or omissions are deemed illegal, unjust, improper or inefficient.”

RESERVE JUDGMENT

Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma yesterday expressed dismay at the death Chastity, but he also said the involvement of law enforcers remains an allegation until proven true.

Palma reiterated that the public must reserve their judgment and criticism of Tiu who is currently unable to defend himself as he is out of the country.

Nevertheless, the prelate emphasized that regardless if one is in authority or otherwise, the poor and underprivileged must be protected and not taken advantage of for their weakness and helplessness.