Charges filed vs top Mt Province police officers: No whitewash! PNP urged on gun probe

By Gina Dizon

BONTOC, Mountain Province - Around six thousand signatories from the ten municipalities of this province urged the Philippine National Police , Armed Forces of the Philippines, National Bureau of Investigation and concerned agencies to “stop a whitewash” and conduct a speedy and full blown investigation on reported use of illegal firearms and terrorism in the province particularly in Paracelis town during the May 10 elections

Said resolution condemned use of illegal firearms in the political exercise, and other violations of election laws including massive vote buying allegedly committed by congressman-elect Maximo Dalog and his supporters.

A disqualification case and protest has been filed in the Commission on Elections by congressional candidate complainant Jupiter Dominguez against Dalog.

This, even as charges for serious neglect of duty and incompetence were filed last week against Mountain Province- PNP provincial director Supt. Fortunato Albas, Senior Insp. Hidelberto Kiblasan, chief of PNP Paracelis, Mountain Province and SPO1 Anselmo Ganisi, at the PNP’s Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management in Camp Crame in relation to the arrest of some people in Paracelis for having a cache of firearms inside three vehicles on May 11.

Complainant Salvador Liked alleged the PNP officers caused the omission of some names in the police report which identified persons occupying confiscated vehicles loaded with guns and ammunitions at Barangay Bunot after the suspects were arrested by elements of the Philippine Army.

Liked from Mountain Province, forwarded an urgent appeal to the offices of Chairman Jose Melo of the Commission on Elections, PNP Director General Jesus Versoza, Gen. Delfin Bangit of the Philippine Army, NBI, Department of Justice, and the Commission on Human Rights to investigate the arrest and release of those involved in the incident in Bunot wherein army personnel reportedly confiscated Bushmaster Cal. 5.56 allegedly owned by Dalog and a 92 FS Pietro Beretta Cal. 9mm accordingly issued to police Insp. Dexter Mariano Paredes.

On May 11, suspects Fangkingan Lomong-oy, Mariano Yawan, and Floricel Miing- were arrested in Bunot for illegal possession of six assorted high powered firearms including a Bush Master long firearm allegedly registered in the name of congressman-elect Dalog.

Witnesses however claimed that Clarence Dalog, son of the congressman-elect, Paredes and other John Does were reportedly riding in the cars but all were not arrested and named in the police report of Kiblasan.

The refusal of arresting Army officers to make a report led to the release of those arrested on May 13.

Charges of illegal possession of fire arms and violation of Comelec’s law on gun ban were finally filed by the Philippine Army charging the three arrested suspects with the inclusion of Paredes on May 20.

Reports earlier said Army soldiers responding to the burning of precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines in Sitio Apalis, Barangay Bunot in Paracelis town a day after the election and confiscated in a checkpoint two Armalite rifles, a KG-9 sub-machinegun, a shotgun and two handguns and assorted ammunitions from occupants of three vehicles.

However, instead of turning over the evidence to the local police, the Army filed gun ban violation and illegal possession of firearms charges against the drivers of the vehicles and excluded the vehicles’ other occupants.

“It is very unusual why the Army is interested in the case. There must be something into this,” said Dr. Jacqueline Dominguez, in behalf of her brother Jupiter.
Jupiter, an Independent, is trailing in the congressional race by at least 700 votes to his rival Dalog.

The Comelec is scheduling a special election for Sitio Bunot which has more than 1,000 voters. A decisive win by Dominguez in the special polls could alter election results and place Dominguez as frontrunner for the congressional race, reason why the Comelec was earlier assailed by Mountain Province folk for “prematurely proclaiming Dalog as congressman-elect.”

Records showed that the Army team headed by 2nd Lt. Alvin Dagondon of the 54th Infantry Brigade, 5th Infantry Division, proceeded to Sitio Apalis on May 11 amid reports that several men burned a PCOS machine.

The Army troopers set up a checkpoint and flagged down a Toyota Hi-Lux (CBB-164), a Mitsubishi Estrada (CRB-990) and a Mitsubishi Pajero (VEA-332) and they yielded firearms.

“These shameful acts of illegal possession of firearms, terrorism and massive vote buying were meant to subvert the true will of the sovereign people of the sovereign people of Mountain Province and to disturb its peace,” the resolution said.

The Paracelis incident earlier raised questions from the public on who could have been riding in the vehicles and who will use the six fire arms loaded in the cars confiscated vehicles during the elections.

Liked also alleged in his complaint that  “persons including Clarence Dalog, son of incumbent Mountain Province governor and congressman-elect Maximo Dalog, police officer Dexter Paredes", and four others   were occupying said cars when these were apprehended.

The questioned report was made revealing when Paredes was named in the charges filed before the Prosecutor’s Office aside from the originally named three suspects.

Still in Bontoc, in relation to the case, responding on a motion to inhibit by counsel Cyrus Calaya, Prosecutor Golda Calaoa- Bannawi,” in the interest of fair play and justice” inhibited herself from conducting preliminary investigation on a case filed before the Prosecutor’s Office for violation the Omnibus Election Code and illegal possession of firearms.

The case filed before the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office by arresting officers of the Philippine Army against some of those arrested was elevated to the Regional State Prosecutor for his disposal, following approval by Provincial Prosecutor Moises Ayochok on Bannawi’s inhibition.

Lawyer Cyrus Calaya said Bannawi is the daughter of lawyer Einstein Calaoa “being the provincial legal officer who cannot be said to have no close working relations and camaraderie with the outgoing provincial governor Maximo Dalog.”

Calaya is counsel for congressional candidate Jupiter Dominguez who earlier filed an election protest against congressman-elect Dalog before the ComElec on grounds of violence, intimidation, and terrorism in Paracelis where the offense was committed.

Earlier, a complaint for violation of Batasang Pambansa 881 or the Omnibus Election Code and Presidential Decree 1866 covering the law against illegal possession of fire arms was filed by the Philippine Army against Domingo Hewan/Domingo Fangkingan, Mario Yawan/ Norman Funite, Floricel Miing, and Dexter Paredes on May 20 before the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office.

A subpoena was directed to respondents to file their counter affidavits.