Budget sought for transporting witness in shabu ‘tiangge’ case

Police handlers of a government witness in the shabu "tiangge" case are seeking a P204,000 budget to comply with a court decision to have him locked up at the provincial jail of Lanao del Sur.

Senior Superintendent Francisco Uyami Jr., Pasig City police chief, said the budget covers expenses to secure Samer Palao in the trip to Marawi City, where he is facing kidnapping with murder charges.

"Considering the threat to his life and the risk involved in transporting him, he should be secured by no less than 20 police personnel," Uyami stated in his letter to the comptroller of the Eastern Police District (EPD).

The two-page letter was received by Superintendent Odelon Ramoneda, EPD chief of comptrollership and finance last Sept. 15.

Judge Santos Adiong, of Lanao del Sur regional trial court (RTC) Branch 8, ordered Palao committed to the local provincial jail following certification by Inspector Rommel Macatlang that he was arrested by police operatives last Sept. 6.

"In the interest of a speedy trial of the entitled case, law enforcers who are now in custody of the accused Samer Palao are hereby directed to transport the living body of the said accused to the provincial jail of Lanao del Sur for proper commitment," Adiong said in one-page order dated Sept. 20.

Uyami admitted that the lack of funds may delay their plan to present Palao to Adiong.

The Pasig police said P130,000 of the proposed budget would be for the air fare of Palao and his 20 escorts, P6,000 for meal allowance, P20,000 for hotel accommodations, P30,000 for hiring three vans for transportation from Marawi City to the airport and P18,600 for miscellaneous expenses.

Complainant Piangne Hadji Salam said Palao, alias Tangkad, allegedly abducted and killed her younger brother Cadar Hadji Salam in Lumba-Bayabao in Lanao del Sur last July 6 after she failed to raise the P5 million ransom.

In his counter-affidavit, Palao said the victim might have been killed by numerous enemies because of his alleged drug-peddling activities not only in Metro Manila, but in Lanao del Sur as well. He said the victim’s real name was Cadar Sultan.

"Pinalutang niya ang pangalan niya para maiwasan niyang maaresto ng pulis at ang mga taong galit sa kanya dahil sa pagbebenta niya ng droga," Palao said in an interview.

The government witness said he was in Alegria town in Cebu when Salam was killed.

Palao said he was being linked to Salam’s killing to prevent him from testifying against Amin Imam Boratong, the man he accused of being the operator of the dismantled shabu tiangge in Pasig City.

"This is the very reason why, instead of looking for the real culprits or killers, they are working for my immediate arrest through trumped up charges, to stop me from testifying against them," Palao claimed.

Boratong was among the more than 300 people charged for the operation of the shabu tiangge located on F. Soriano street, Sitio Mapayapa in Barangay Sto. Tomas.

The compound, which is owned by the trader, was raided by government forces last Feb. 10. – Non Alquitran