Local political ‘terrorists’

Two Congressmen, both incumbent members of the 17th Congress, figured one after the other at incidents of “political terrorism,” the first of which ended in death. But the stories of the two honorable members of the House of Representatives are in stark contrast though with each other.

After just completing his Christmas gift-giving to his constituents in Daraga, Albay last Dec. 22, Ako-Bicol party-list Representative Rodel Batocabe and his lone escort Senior Police Officer 1 Orlando Diaz were felled by assassins’ bullets. Preparing for his mayoral bid in the coming May 2019 elections, the candidacy of the 52-year-old Batocabe was snuffed out by what police authorities pursue as a case of political assassination.

Obviously, it was perpetrated by “political terrorists,” or hired guns who are out to cash in this early from the May elections next year.

On the same day, at the town plaza of Guimbal, Iloilo, a melee involving two men resulted to a physical injury of one of them. Four days later, the office of Mayor Oscar Richard Garin Sr. received a copy of an affidavit of desistance by the victim that was filed by the police investigator on the case. Accompanied by his son, Iloilo Congressman Oscar Richard Garin Jr. and police escorts, the Mayor stormed the Guimbal police station to confront the investigator on the case – Police Officer 3 Federico Macaya.

And in the presence of the Guimbal police station chief, the Mayor allegedly confiscated Macaya’s gun, cuffed the latter’s hands under his legs, slapped the face and kicked the body while the cop was kneeling down. And the ultimate assault, the Congressman purportedly spat on the face of the cop in uniform. The Congressman in rage reportedly fired his gun into the air.

In a statement he issued at his office at the Batasan Pambansa in Quezon City, Congressman Garin issued a public apology for their actions. “My actions were not directed to the PNP as an institution, or against its officers and personnel. My actions were a mere display of extreme frustration,” Garin explained. In turn, he accused Macaya of committing a “great disservice to the people of Guimbal.”

Let’s hear the side of the mauled cop. According to Macaya’s superiors led by Chief Supt. John Bulalacao, police director of Region 6, the questioned affidavit of desistance of the minor involved in the melee case was a decision made by the complainant himself. As reported to Bulalacao the complainant cited as reason for not pursuing the case was because the latter does not want his mother who is an OFW (overseas Filipino worker) to worry about him while working abroad.

What Bulalacao deplored more was that the Congressman tried to cover up his participation based from what came out from their investigation into the incident.

After initial inquiry into the incident, Bulalacao relieved Guimbal police Chief Senior Inspector Antonio Monreal who did not lift a finger to stop the assault on his fallen cop. From the account of witnesses, the police chief just watched from his desk what was taking place right inside their station.

Bulalacao asked yesterday Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año to also cancel the deputation and revoke the power over the Guimbal Municipal Police Station of Mayor Garin. The National Police Commission (Napolcom), chaired by the DILG Secretary, has the power to revoke such authority.

Likewise, the two police security details assigned to Mayor Garin were recalled back to Camp Crame in Quezon City. The worst part of this story is the finding by the Philippine National Police (PNP) Headquarters that the Garins have a virtual arsenal typical of political warlords perpetuating their stronghold in their fiefdoms.

Records from the PNP Firearms and Explosives Office (FEO) showed the Congressman is a registered owner of 11 firearms, three of which have expired licenses. Mayor Garin, for his part, owns eight firearms, five of which have expired licenses.

As of yesterday, PNP Director General Oscar Albayalde has ordered the cancellation of the Garins’ licenses to own and possess firearms and permits to carry firearms outside residence. This is not to mention the string of criminal charges being readied against both elected officials from assault of person in authority to physical injury, alarm and scandal.

What were Mayor and Congressman Garin thinking? Did they think mauling the cop to submission would help the case of the victim they are supposedly trying to take up the cause for justice? And why did Congressman Garin fire his gun supposedly out of anger and frustration?

Incidentally, Congressman Garin is the husband of former Iloilo Congresswoman Janet Garin. He ran and won in the congressional district of his wife when she joined in the Cabinet of former president Benigno Simeon Aquino III as Health Secretary. She is making a comeback in the next Congress in 2019 elections running under the Nacionalista Party. Her husband-Congressman, in turn, will run for Mayor as PDP-Laban candidate.

She has her own problems right now. She, Mr. Aquino and several other ex-administration officials are facing corruption and criminal cases over the controversial Dengvaxia being blamed for the deaths of a number of children who got injected by this anti-dengue vaccine.

As a former Mayor for 20 years, President Rodrigo Duterte has been open to his being a strict disciplinarian also to his policemen in Davao City. President Duterte publicly admitted several incidents where he got physical in punishing erring cops in his city.

The President, however, vowed he would not countenance any abusive local government officials. The President virtually gave the police and military forces the go-signal to shoot at any abusive local officials engaged in such “political terrorism” as in this case of the Garins.

Yesterday, the President added P20 million to the P30 million bounty reward that will lead to the capture of the “political terrorists” behind the slay of Congressman Batocabe.