Drug suspect's wife denies naming cops as protectors

Two days after her reported revelations of policemen who had provided protection to the illegal drug trade, the wife of suspected drug pusher Epifras Regis yesterday denied telling such to reporters who she blamed instead of misquoting her.

Gloria Regis told The Freeman that she never issued any statement accusing six city policemen of being protectors to the illegal drug trade of the Regis couple.

Mrs. Regis also denied naming a policeman, assigned at the provincial police's anti-illegal drugs special operations task force, who accepted P500,000 from her in exchange of not filing a case against her son Manny who was earlier caught for illegal drugs.

Inside the detention cell of the City Police, Mrs. Regis stood by her denial and said she would neither file a formal complaint nor sign an affidavit against the policemen.

However, she regreted the dragging of these policemen's names to the case saying, "Wala nako tuyoa." When asked what she meant by that, she refused to answer.

City Police acting director Melvin Gayotin had already ordered the Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Branch to investigate the matter and the CIIB in turn had summoned the policemen to answer the allegations tomorrow.

Mayor Tomas Osmeña was happy upon learning of Mrs. Regis' revelations, and said that he would cut off the monthly allowances of these policemen then have them transferred outside of Cebu City, if they are found guilty of the allegations.

The Regis couple and their driver were arrested by a joint teams of policemen at a pension house in barangay Pajo, Lapu-Lapu City, Tuesday night. An estimated 25 grams of shabu were also seized from their possession.

Subsequently at the Cebu City Police detention cell, Mrs. Regis reportedly mentioned of six poliemen who had accepted bribes to protect the Regis' business, among other revelations.

But Mrs. Regis denied all these yesterday but she admitted that she and her husband were long-time friends of the policemen long time ago before they got involved in illegal drugs.

Mrs. Regis further admitted that, at times, she gave cellphone loads to some policemen who approached her and "mamarayeg ug pang-load."

But she denied knowing the names of these policemen: "Wala ko ana kaila nila. Pila ra man nang load nga P100; pero nakahibalo ko nga polis sila."

She admitted also that there were policemen who acted as sponsors in her son's wedding but she quickly denied that she invited them for favors in return. They were her friends, she said.

"Kinasing-kasing ang among pag-imbitar nila nga moluhod sa kasal sa akong anak," a teary-eyed Regis said. - Edwin Ian Melecio