Guadalupe cops face probe over Faelnar's 'accident'

Cebu City Police Office acting director Melvin Gayotin said he will have the Guadalupe police station investigated to determine any "cover-up" in the vehicular incident involving Association of Barangay Council President Eugenio Faelnar last Sunday evening.

Gayotin said he still waiting for the final report of his men since he has not received any official information about the incident yet.

The Freeman learned last Monday through PO3 Teodoro Lumanes, the desk officer that day, that the incident of Faelnar backing his car into Renante Laurente was not recorded in the police station, but DyAB yesterday reported that Laurente had the incident recorded at the Traffic Management Group last Monday morning.

The place where it happened is actually less than three minutes away from the police station.

Gayotin however said that he cannot immediately blame the Guadalupe police station because it is a vehicular incident and is therefore under the jurisdiction of the Traffic Group. He said it can also be that both Faelnar and Laurente might have already settled it on their own terms.

"Maybe the reason nganong wala na ma-blotter didto basin kay traffic incident man na, pero to erase doubts ako na silang paimbestigahan," Gayotin said.

On the other hand, Faelnar's political rival Salvador Solima, also the employer Laurente's brother -not Laurente as earlier reported- said over dyAB yesterday that Faelnar could have voluntarily surrendered to the police after the incident.

Solima ran against and lost to Faelnar during the last barangay elections.

Laurente said he would have wanted to file a case against Faelnar, but he is not sure if there witnesses will come forward to testify against the barangay captain.

Faelnar said he will face any charges to be filed against him and reiterated that it was just a minor incident.

Mayor Tomas Osmeña said he will not interfere in the incident.

"I will not interfere any legal process," Osmeña said, saying that he was not aware of the incident only after reading from the newspaper.

Faelnar, a staunch supporter of Osmeña, is eyeing to run for city councilor in 2007 under the mayor's ticket. - Edwin Ian Melecio with Gary Lao