For Mabolo Barangay Captain: No 20 police escorts- PRO-7

CEBU, Philippines — The Police Regional Office – 7 will not give controversial Mabolo, Cebu City Barangay Captain Prisca Niña Mabatid 20 security personnel.

"Di na pwede. Among policy, duha lang ka tao. Asa man ta mangita og police nga 20?" said PRO-7 Director, Chief Supt. Debold Sinas yesterday.

Reports have it that the Office of the President promised Mabatid 20 police escorts after she disclosed that she received death threats, but PRO-7 did not receive any communication just yet.

Sinas said that based on existing rules, each high-profile personality or those in position in government are allowed only two police escorts with ranks higher than a Police Officer 1.

"We could not (detail 20 police for security). Basta our policy, including the congressmen, mayors, senators is only two," he said.

If he receives communication from the Office of the President, he will have to refer the matter to the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame.

“If there is a directive, (we will give) pero kung ingun ana nga 20, I will have to elevate it sa Camp Crame kay the policy its only two. I cannot give 20," Sinas said.

He said escorts are provided based on evaluation by the PNP’s intelligence unit on the danger of the security recipient.

Mabatid, for her part, said she declined the 20-cop security detail and that she does not want special treatment.

However, she reportedly submitted names of policemen she wants to be her escorts in case of emergency.

"I don't want that but I am just saying that I am being offered but in case of emergency, I submitted names of policemen nga comfortable ko – in case lang – to follow me every day," Mabatid said.

ABC

Meanwhile, Mayor Tomas Osmeña refuses to believe that the Office of the President has endorsed Mabatid for president of the Association of Barangay Councils in Cebu City.

Osmeña said it sounds impossible that President Rodrigo Duterte will support a barangay official who has the capacity to bribe barangay captains in exchange of votes.

Last July 20, at least eight barangay captains allied with Osmeña’s group, the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan, claimed Mabatid offered them at least P300,000 and up to P1 million.

These include Clifford Niñal of San Nicolas Proper, Juvito Ladraso of Sapangdaku, Sergio Ocaña of Sawang Calero, Victor Buendia of Labangon, Francisco Benedicto of Zapatera, Fredie Esmas of Day-as, Virgil Cabigon of Apas, and Domeng Lopez of Tinago.

Osmeña said the ABC elections on July 30 worry him because Mabatid has money to spare, but he is reportedly hopeful that the barangay captains will remain truthful and logical.

In a separate interview, Mabatid said she did not lie about the endorsement from Malacañang.

She said that threats that she allegedly received started coming when she admitted considering of running for ABC president and after she disclosed that the Office of the President has endorsed her.

These threats reportedly came in the form of calls and text messages from unknown numbers, which she reported to the Mabolo Police Station and to the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC).

"Well, that's a big lie. They are the reason why I am taking all these problems and controversies. It’s because of them. They asked me to run, not myself or any political parties," Mabatid said.

Until yesterday, Mabatid has not fixed her mind on the ABC presidency.

"I cannot also compromise the safety of my kids kay dili ta katag-an labi na related sa politics," she said.

Captain

In a related development, Mabatid’s lawyers presented two witnesses in court to prove that Mabatid is a resident of Barangay Mabolo, contrary to the claim of lawyer Daniel Francis Arguedo that she is not.

Arguedo, who Mabatid defeated in the barangay polls, has asked the court to nullify Mabatid’s win because while she was registered in Mabolo, she reportedly did not live there a year before the polls, as required by the rules.

Mabatid reportedly is a resident of Sunflower Drive, Sunny Hills, in Barangay Talamban, Cebu City.

Yesterday, Mabatid’s lawyers Vicente Fernandez II and Delon Urot presented Estrella Madrid, 74, and Corazon Andales, 68, both residents of Mabolo.

Madrid who reportedly lives just a few meters away from the house of Mabatid’s mother, Salud, said Mabatid is always seen in Mabolo.

Yet Madrid said she knows Mabatid has a house in Talamban because she has visited there several times. Mabatid’s children reportedly stay there.

The defense is expected to present in court the prosecutor that subscribed the joint judicial affidavit that Madrid and Andales signed after the two witnesses could not remember signing the document on June 8, 2018. 

“Once and for all, to dispel this doubt on the authenticity of this joint judicial affidavit…we’re sure that this was subscribed before the fiscal so the fiscal will testify tomorrow (today) for that matter,” Urot said.

Private prosecution lawyer Amando Virgil Ligutan told The Freeman that the failure of the witnesses to remember issuing their joint affidavit is fatal to Mabatid’s case.

He said they are confident that the court will rule in Arguedo’s favor. — JMO (FREEMAN)