Cops file case vs. blocktimer

CEBU, Philippines - The police filed charges yesterday against a man, who allegedly crowned himself as “king of false alarm,” in relation to Monday’s panic after the strong tremor that hit Cebu.

Charges for violation of Article 153 of the Revised Penal Code or tumults and other disturbance, were filed against Danilo Cogtas, a resident of Sitio Kalmar, Barangay Lawaan 2, Talisay City yesterday.

The police did not file a case against the other suspect, a councilman of Barangay Ermita, because no witness surfaced to testify against him.

Cogtas is a blocktimer on radio station dyRB. He was tagged by two witnesses, Roldan Espina and Ryan Pedrosa, both motorcycle-for-hire drivers from Laguerta, Lahug, Cebu City.

The two witnesses identified Cogtas through his pictures, which came out in the newspapers after he went to the CCPO headquarters to deny allegations against him.

The two witnesses, said in their affidavit that they saw a man, who was wearing a huge identification card and wearing a black vest, like what some media people wear, who was shouting in the Pasil area that there was a tsunami.

The two said that they first heard about the fears of the people about the tsunami from their passengers in the Lahug area.

At around 2 p.m., they said that their interest was further piqued when more people were heading to barangay Busay.

They two said that they went to Pasil on board their motorcycle to check if the the reason of the fears of the people was true and it was then that they saw the man they later identified as Cogtas.

“He was wearing a big ID. He was also wearing a dark sleeveless vest like the ones worn by media people,” they said in the affidavit.

 It was the following that they read in the newspapers that the police were looking for two men allegedly responsible for spreading the hoax.

 “After discussing between ourselves what to do and when we were both certain that Danilo Cogtas as printed in the tabloids was the same man we saw in Pasil shouting ‘tsunami’ because of his distinctive hair-style, we finally decided that we will report the matter to the police,” the joint affidavit read.

The Revised Penal Code states that violation of Article 153 “carries a penalty of arresto mayor in its medium period to prison correccional in its minimum period and a fine not exceeding 1,000 pesos shall be imposed upon any person who shall cause any serious disturbance in a public place, office, or establishment, or shall interrupt or disturb public performances, functions or gatherings, or peaceful meetings, if the act is not included in the provisions of Articles 131 and 132.”

‘King of false alarm’

Despite the denial of Cogtas, a worker of a television station alleged that she heard the radio blocktimer claim that he was the “King of False Alarm.”

Last Tuesday night, Cogtas reportedly went to the Cebu Catholic Television Network (CCTN) for a program with Talisay City Mayor Socrates Fernandez, together with five other men, said Irene, 22, (not her real name) a station worker. 

Irene said that while inside CCTN’s Technical Operating Control (TOC) room, she heard Cogtas through an audio monitor, bragging about a hoax tsunami.    

“Didto sa Pasil, siya ang nag estorya nga naa daw tsunami. Unya mi tuo ang mga tawo niya kay nag media ID siya (Cogtas),” (In Pasil, he was the one who said there was a tsunami. The people believed him because he was wearing a media ID) she quoted Cogtas as saying. 

“Diha ko naglagot niya kay taga Pasil gud ko, unya akong mama ug papa tua didto,” (I got mad because I am from Pasil and my mother and father are there) she added.

She said Cogtas’ claimed that the first victims include a fish vendor and two policemen, who ran right after he allegedly shouted that “a tsunami was coming,”

“Human nga gisingitan sila (fish vendor and police) ni Cogtas, nanabi sila sa laing mga tawo,” (After they were told by Cogtas, they told others) she said.

Aside from the three, Cogtas reportedly warned Public Utility Jeepney drivers who also scampered toward higher grounds.

Cogtas further bragged to his five co-hosts that everyone easily believed him because he was wearing his media ID.

Irene said that Cogtas only stopped bragging about his tsunami hoax when their program started.

In her anger, she called in to interact with the program hosts and disclosed in live-television that one of source of the tsunami scare is a member of the local media, referring to Cogtas.

After her on-air question, she reportedly saw one of Fernandez co-hosts pointing a finger at Cogtas, like he knew who Irene was referring to.

Right after the program, a station guard overheard Cogtas saying, “part na ko sa history nga king of false alarm,” (I am now part of history as king of false alarm) Irene said.

Aside from Irene, a makeup artist also heard Cogtas bragging about the tsunami hoax. –/NLQ (FREEMAN)