Tom to continue P50,000 reward

CEBU, Philippines — Despite criticisms from opposition councilors, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña will continue to give P50,000 reward in addition to President Rodrigo Duterte’s bounty for ninja cops or rogue cops.

At the press conference yesterday, he told reporters that he does not agree with the statement of Councilor Joel Garganera, who sits as the chairman on Police Advisory Council (PAC), that giving monetary reward to anyone who can kill erring cops promotes violence and chaos.

“Why? When the police shoot our people, that’s not violence? That’s Garganera’s vision of peace and order. When our people get shot by the police, that’s okay? I don’t agree with him,” Osmeña said.

Last Sunday, Garganera told The FREEMAN that the move of the mayor promotes “violence and chaos” to the community.

“It’s non-sequitor, it doesn’t follow. The President has his own criteria on what are rogue policemen while Osmeña is simply a second grade copycat with different term of reference,” Garganera earlier said.

However, Osmeña questioned why Garganera has singled out him on the matter for it was the main idea of the president.

“It’s more symbolical, the President gives P5 million, I will give P50,000. So, why doesn’t he sue the President? Why doesn’t he say the President is promoting violence,” he said.

After Duterte announced that he increased the bounty for dead rogue cops from P3 million to P5 million, Osmeña expressed his intention to give an additional P50,000 and he will use his personal resources.

Osmeña’s willingness to give a reward was because of his bad experience with police authorities in connection with the attempted ambush of Barangay Tejero Councilman Jessielou Cadungong.

He believes Police Officer 3 Eugene Calumba and police asset Michael Banua are among the scalawags in the city.

"I believe that Calumba and Banua are part of those scalawags," Osmeña earlier said.

To recall, last July 30, a shooting incident happened involving Cadungog and Calumba in Barangay Tejero. Calumba was shot dead by the driver of Cadungog, William Macaslang.

But the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Central Visayas (CIDG-7) filed murder and frustrated murder cases against Cadungog and his driver, William Macaslang, because police authorities claimed that Cadungog directed his driver to shoot Calumba.

Recently, due to lack of probable cause to indict Cadungog and Macaslang, the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office cleared them from criminal charges.

On the other hand, Cebu City Police office Deputy Director Artemio Ricabo is asking Osmeña what his criteria are in identifying a ninja cop.

"Unsa may involvment nga ma consider na nga scalawag? If naa mi ma note nga scalawag, ang among kasagarang buhaton ana imbestigaran," Ricabo said.

Ricabo also said that whenever they receive information about scalawag policemen, they are immediately relieved and subject the police officer to an investigation.

Ricabo also said that several policemen were relieved and dismissed from service when President Duterte assumed the presidency.

Ricabo said that they continue with the internal cleansing and they do not tolerate policemen linked to illegal activities as they tarnish the reputation of the police community in general. — Jeffrey Legara  (FREEMAN)