Acting Talisay cop chief dared by VM to take polygraph test

Talisay City Vice Mayor Aberdovey Belleza has challenged acting police chief Supt. Audie Villacin to submit to a lie detector test to disprove various accusations leveled against him.

Last month, the city council approved a resolution requesting Villacin's relief, citing more than six months of "inefficient" performance.

Villacin was also asked last week by councilor Allan Bucao to explain his side and show his achievements to negate all the negative claims against him.

Yesterday, during the council's regular session, it was his chance to speak out but he begged off saying he had to meet with provincial police director Vicente Loot.

In his privilege speech, Belleza said he, as chairman of the Peace and Order and Public Safety Committee, tried his best to curtail illegal gambling, drug deals operating which the city, then more than six months ago Villacin came into the picture and this led to "serious contradictions."

Belleza said Villacin ignored the Traffic Commission meetings and refused to furnish the council summarized blotter reports until he was threatened suspension of his monthly city allowance.

Belleza went on saying how a Talisay City policeman told Mayor Socrates Fernandez, councilors Rodi Cabigas, Ben Abatayo, Arturo Bas and himself that Villacin takes bribes from bigtime drug dealers to downgrade their charges to bailable offenses.

"Sa mao nga impormasyon, akong natubag ang dugay na nako nga pangutana kung nganong way nadakpan nga mga dagkong tigpahuyot og droga sa Talisay sa kasamtangang pagdumala ni Col. Villacin," Belleza said.

Among the other accusations mentioned by Belleza was the exclusion of a report about logs confiscated from a vessel last November 30 and Villacin's not informing the council that he hired new men in his office.

Belleza also alleged that Villacin "pocketed the biggest share" of a July 2005 drug deal that happened in a mall in the city. The P130,000 supposedly for that deal was pocketed by policemen who released the courier, a minor.

There is a sworn statement affidavit by Edna Cabo, wife of an alleged drug pusher, who said she was arrested then released by SPO4 Reynaldo Vitualia and his men after getting grease money.

This prompted Villacin to relieve six of those seven men involved.

"The Machiavellian scheme of Col. Villacin had reached to its culminating point that it could no longer be tolerated by the Talisaynons," Belleza continued.

Thus he challenged Villacin to submit himself to a lie detector test "to refute all these allegations."

"Ako usab nga gihagit ang iyang katakus sa dinaliang pagsumpo sa mga illegal nga mga negosyo, bisan pa man kung ang hingtungdan, usa ka dakong opisyal sa dakbayan sa Talisay," he said.

Villacin could not be reached for comment.

With regards to Mayor Socrates Fernandez' contradicting opinion on Villacin, Belleza said the mayor does not really know what's going on.

After the council has passed the resolution for Villacin's relief last month, Fernandez, also wrote a letter to Loot asking him to let Villacin remain in Talisay City saying he is satisfied with his performance. - Liv G. Campo