American national hunted for harassing CIDG lawyer

Policemen are now going after an American national and his two alleged armed bodyguards who reportedly destroyed properties inside the office of the legal counsel of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.

Lawyer Inocencio dela Cerna was caught by surprise when Robert Browning and his companions allegedly barged into his office and threatened to kill him.

SPO1 Richard Catacutan of the Fuente Police Station told The Freeman that Browning was with two armed men wearing "barongs" who acted as his bodyguards.

"Dili man kasukol si Atty. Dela Cerna kay naa may duha ka armadong bodyguard, gihulga kuno siya kay niingon man og "I will kill you!" Catacutan said.

Before leaving the office, the foreigner reportedly destroyed Dela Cerna's office properties such as cabinets, chairs, tables, doorknob, and law books.

The suspects boarded a white Pajero when they left and police patrol cars were now dispatched to arrest them.

Dela Cerna is the administrator of a building along Sanciangko Street where Browning is also a tenant.

Browning who lives at Doña Rita Village in barangay Banilad is operating an Internet café at the building. But trouble erupted when the American national got into an argument with another tenant who also operates the same business.

Prior to the incident yesterday, the issue between Browning and another tenant reached to the attention of Dela Cerna who decided to pacify the two. But the Browning allegedly got angry and suspected him being biased.

The incident happened after Dela Cerna ordered the confiscation of the advertising streamers of Browning and lawyer Ed Gobonsing, who owns the EDAGO Live Wire cafe.

Dela Cerna, who is the administrator of Capuras building where the Internet cafes of Browning and Gobonsing are situated, said Browning got mad at him after the foreigner suspected that he favored his fellow lawyer in placing the streamers.

"Nahug man gyud ni nga nag ilog sila ug puwesto sa streamers, gamay ra unta kaayo ni pero isog man kaayo siya (Browning) nga ni sulod dinhi sa akong opisina," Dela Cerna said.

"Ako na unta siya (Browning) sundan sa gawas pero ang duha ka bata bata niya nisuway ug kuha sa armas maong wala na lang ko mopadayon," added dela Cerna who immediately reported the matter to Fuente Police Station.

The lawyer's secretary, Donna Nazareno, who witnessed the incident said: "Na shocked gyud mi tanan apil sa grade 3 nga anak ni attorney, isog kaayo siya nga nisud dinhi."

The Freeman tried to get the side of Browing at his Internet cafe but he was not around.

Dela Cerna said he would ask the CIDG to verify whether Browning's bodyguards were regular members of regional police. "We are trying to check this kay daghang man kaayo ni siya (Browning) suod nga taga R2 intelligence division PRO."

The CIDG, upon receiving the call from Dela Cerna, immediately conducted an operation against Browning.

Dela Cerna is set to file charges for grave oral defamation, grave threat, malicious mischief, and damage to property against Browning before the prosecutor's office.

Gobonsing said he would file a complaint before the Bureau of Immigration to have Browning declared as an undesirable alien for calling Filipinos "stupid monkeys" during their argument. - Edwin Ian Melecio and Ramil v. Ayuman