Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 14) — The widow of the Aparri vice mayor who was killed in an ambush in Nueva Vizcaya said that her husband was threatened by the town’s mayor over a corruption complaint.
Elizabeth Alameda made the statement at a Senate committee hearing on Monday.
“Sinabi niya sa harapan ng mga employees na kapag natanggal o na-suspend siya sa posisyon niya is babalikan daw po niya yung mga may gawa ng kasong yun,” she said at the hearing of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs.
[Translation: In front of employees, he said that if he is suspended from his position, he would get back at those behind the case.]
Aparri, Cagayan mayor Bryan Chan denied the accusation, saying he said no such thing.
Vice mayor Rommel Alameda was among six people killed in an ambush in the town of Bagabag, Nueva Vizcaya in February.
Videos of the incident were shown during the Senate hearing. In one video, multiple gunshots are heard, while in another, the gunmen are seen checking out Alameda’s vehicle before firing another shot.Chan, the alleged mastermind, has denied any involvement.During the hearing, committee chairman Sen. Ronald dela Rosa asked Chan if he was not bothered by the event.
“Nababagabag po. Nasa Manila po ako nun sir,” he replied.
[Translation: I am bothered, but I was in Manila then.]Rowell Alameda, the brother of the slain vice mayor, also complained about Chan’s heavily armed security detail. Politician’s civilian bodyguards are only allowed to carry small firearms.
“May mga ipoproseso dapat kami sa munisipyo pero natatakot po kaming pumasok. Kasi pag tumitingin sila parang nang-aasar tapos naka-long firearms pa sila sa loob ng munisipyo,” he said.
[Translation: We were supposed to process some things at the municipal building, but we were afraid to go inside because it’s like they were taunting us and they had long firearms.]
Chan explained that in that incident, one of his bodyguards held the long firearm for only a moment, and that the weapon belonged to a cop who is also part of his security detail.
The senators said it has been a bad practice for policemen to lend their firearms to politicians’ bodyguards.
“What is the definition of private armed group? Two or more armed. Iyang kay mayor sobra pa sa dalawa, so private armed group na yun,” said dela Rosa. “Maraming mga bodyguard ng pulitiko na mas siga pa sa pulis dahil pinabayaan niyo. Kasalanan din ng pulis iyan.”
[Translation: What is the definition of private armed group? Two or more armed. The mayor had more than two, so that’s a private armed group. A lot of politician’s bodyguards act tougher than policemen because you allow them to. That’s the police’s fault as well.]The police promised to arrest anyone carrying illegal firearms despite their so-called connections.Senator Raffy Tulfo also said he will file a bill stripping local chief executives of the power to appoint their chief of police. This way policemen would no longer be beholden to politicians.
At the same hearing, a widow of one of those killed in the incident lamented that six months after the crime, no one has been sent to jail.
