Osmeña on plot to kill him: Politically motivated

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña believes that the death threats he received stemmed from ‘malicious information’ fed by his enemies to the police and to President Rodrigo Duterte.

Osmeña said his political enemies have been trying hard to link him to illegal drugs by accusing him as drug protector.

He said the killing of his former security aide and friend SPO1 Adonis Dumpit, the foiled ambush of Barangay Tejero Councilman Jessielou Cadungog, and the death threats he is receiving were all politically motivated.

The mayor, however, did not believe that Duterte is aware of the plot to kill him.

“No. He is fed (with) malicious info,” the mayor told The FREEMAN in a text message yesterday when asked if he believes Duterte knows about the alleged plot to kill him.

He also mentioned a certain “Dino” as the one allegedly feeding “malicious info” to the police and to the president. The mayor did not answer when pressed if he was referring to Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Lloyd Dino.

Dino also refused to comment.

However, it is public knowledge that Osmeña and Dino are at odds on several issues, among them is the controversial Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project that the latter recommended to be scrapped.

Former Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre, who happens to be Dino’s friend, earlier named Osmeña as the alleged protector of the late suspected drug lord Jeffrey “Jaguar” Diaz.  Aguirre claimed that Diaz’s cousin, Reynaldo alias Jumbo, executed an affidavit claiming Osmeña received a total of P7 million from the alleged drug lord. Osmeña strongly denied the accusation.

The mayor said all these accusations against him and his closeness to Dumpit are the only reasons he could think of why he is being targeted.

He said this is also true in the case of Cadungog because his gun was found in the possession of Dumpit when the policeman was killed in Bohol during a buy-bust operation jointly conducted by the Regional Intelligence Division and the National Bureau of Investigation.

“Cadungog was linked to him because Cadungog had his gun. You know, I’m very close to Dumpit because I love him. So now, I’m guilty? I’m now a drug protector? Because that’s the only thing that I can see right now. How come the message was me and Cadungog. What are they trying to do?” the mayor said.

Cadungog earlier explained that he had sold his Caliber .45 pistol to Dumpit.

The councilman believes he was the target of a foiled ambush on July 30 where his driver/ bodyguard killed a supposed assailant who was later identified as Police Officer 3 Eugene Calumba.  Police asset Michael Banua was with Calumba when the incident happened.

Police Regional Office-7 officials, however, denied that Calumba was out to ambush Cadungog. PRO-7 director Chief Supt. Debold Sinas claimed that Calumba and Banua came from a legitimate surveillance operation in Barangay Tejero when Cadungog’s driver, William Macaslang, shot the police officer.  Cadungog and Macaslang were charged with murder by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group before the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office.

Prior to the alleged foiled ambush, Osmeña claimed to have already received a text message warning him and Cadungog of the plot to kill them. The mayor said he did not take it seriously until it happened to Cadungog.

“(Redacted) I’m a concerned (redacted) here in PRO7. Please advise the mayor to be extra careful. There are plans to eliminate him-Cadungog and Coun Dave Tumulak. There is a conspiracy to link them to drugs just tell them to please be careful alway(s). The group of PO3 (Eugene) Calumba are behind this and top officials of PRO7 and CCPO are sactioning (sic) this,” reads a portion of the threat received by Osmeña.

Fighting Back

Osmeña said it saddens him that his people are being run after by the police after what happened to Cadungog. Aside from filing murder charges against Cadungog, the police are also filed a string of criminal complaints against Tumulak.

“That’s why I am fighting back. If they are only running after badlungon maybe I’ll just ignore that. But now, they are running our own people,” the mayor said.

Osmeña said it’s hard for him to rely on the investigation of the police because he considered them as the “suspects.”

“Of course not, they are the suspect themselves… Imagine, Cadungog will ambush two policemen with a revolver. Kinsa man motuo niana uy? Do you believe that?” he said.

Osmeña said they got several video footages that will stand as pieces of evidence in favor of Tumulak and Cadungog.   He is also seeking the relief of police official whom he accused as behind some of the shooting incidents in the city. The Freeman withheld the name of the police official pending his comment on the allegations.

According to the mayor, the police official was behind the attempt to kill ex-policeman Ahmed Lozano and the death of former Barangay Calamba, Cebu City councilman Eldy Ygonia. Osmeña also tagged him in the strafing of the funeral parlor owned by Calamba Councilman Richard Buscayno.

“He was with the CIDG. He’s very active; he’s the suspect of the shooting of Ahmed. He’s the suspect of the killing of Eldy of Calamba. The most suspected mastermind of shooting the car of Richard Buscayno,” Osmeña said. 

Asked if he has sufficient evidence to back up his claims, the mayor only said that the official had a “bad reputation.”

Hitmen Nabbed

Meanwhile, two self-confessed hired killers allegedly staking out waiting for their target were arrested by the police in Sitio Upper Torre, Barangay Inayawan Cebu City shortly after midnight last Tuesday.

The suspects were identified as Tommy Pentado Oyangorin, 22, and Mamerto Rollo Abellana, 39, all residents of the same barangay.

Pardo Police Station chief Regino Maramag Jr. said the two admitted to at least three killings in the city during the technical interrogation.

Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) director Sr. Supt. Royina Garma said the suspects caught the attention of the police because they were allegedly loitering too long on the same spot.

The police noticed that the suspects were carrying firearms, prompting them to ask for supporting documents. The suspects failed to produce any, resulting in their arrest. Seized from them were a caliber .45 pistol and a caliber .38 revolver.

According to Garma, the police found some text messages indicating that the suspects were set to kill someone within the area.

“From there nag-start ang investigation, nakita nila na may papatayin. And gihuwat nalang nila nga muagi. Nasa cellphone din yun, yung pag-atang nila sa duha, and ano ang signal nila,” Garma said.

She said the two suspects did not mention the name of the mastermind. The two claimed to be assets of CIDG-7. But Garma said CIDG-7 chief Superintendent Lito Patay denied having an asset.

She said the two also dropped names of active police officers that were previously assigned in the region but relieved because of alleged involvement in illegal activities.

“Kaya pinuntahan namin kagabi to check and they mentioned named of officers not assigned here, and has been relieved outside the region, yung sa first wave ng mga involved ng drugs,” she said.

Garma said that they will be double checking if the two are also telling the truth and not just claiming they are suspects to three shootings.

“Most likely, not just by admission, but we will check sa explanation if mu jive jud sa result ng investigation nuon kung paano ginawa, most likely siya gud,” Garma said.

Police are preparing initial complaints for illegal possession of firearms against the two suspects. — with Mae Clydyl L. Avila /FPL (FREEMAN)