Abra town mayor, vice mayor face raps

Over checkpoint shootout

MANILA, Philippines — Police have filed criminal charges against the mayor and vice mayor of Pilar town in Abra and three other people in connection with an alleged shootout at a checkpoint last week.

Mayor Maro Somera and his sister Vice Mayor Jaja Josefina Disono were charged with violation of the Expanded Trafficking in Persons Act, according to Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Dionardo Carlos.

“The cases filed are the product of the evidence and testimonies that our police investigators were able to gather. Those involved individuals will be made to submit themselves to the judicial proceeding,” he said yesterday.

PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said the cases against the two town officials were based on the sworn statements of their 14 bodyguards, all former soldiers.

Fajardo said the 14 claimed Somera and Disono deceived them when they were told they would be hired as members of the citizen security unit of the Pilar municipal government.

”Instead they served as bodyguards of the mayor and vice mayor without authority from the Comelec (Commission on Elections), to the prejudice of the offended party,” she said.

Complaints of serious disobedience to an agent of a person in authority were also filed against Robert Tolentino and Emmanuel Valera, both local government unit employees, and Jericho Bufil, Disono’s helper.

Bufil was also charged with attempted murder.

A separate case for the unauthorized hiring of bodyguards in view of the elections is also being readied against Somera and Disono.

The siblings have also been charged for violation of the election gun ban.

Police said one of the guns, which was registered under Disono’s name, was positive for gunpowder residue.

The security aides of Somera and Disono surrendered following a two-day standoff. Fourteen guns were turned over to the police for ballistics examination.

Two policemen were wounded when Disono’s security aides reportedly drove past a checkpoint and fired at policemen manning it.

Meanwhile, five political allies of Somera and Disono, who are running for seats in the town council, have withdrawn their candidacies. They are Macario de Guzman, Timoteo Dasalla, Rogelio  Ciervo, Teresita Doral and Leilaine Disono.