CEBU, Philippines - Barangay Captain Almario Bihag of Cubacub, Mandaue City, has some explaining to do.
This after he was allegedly filmed pointing a gun at his constituents during the Multi-Sectoral Governance Coalition election of officers last Friday night.
Mandaue City Mayor Gabriel Luigi Quisumbing is set to summon Bihag to make him explain.
"This incident came as a surprise and seems entirely out of character. I will be summoning him to get to the bottom of this. Whatever his explanation though, the actions he took are unacceptable to me and I will not tolerate it," the mayor said.
Winnie Sikad, 38, who went to the mayor yesterday morning to report the incident, claimed it started when Bihag intervened in the election and asked it to be stopped.
"Nangutana ang mga facilitators sa mga tawo kung gusto ba nilang ipahunong ang election unya wala man mosugot sila kay ilang gusto ipadayon g'yud aron naay bag-ong mga opisyal sa grupo," Sikad said.
The Community Affairs Office under the Office of the Mayor facilitated the election of the new set of officers of the MSGC in the barangay complex. The fathers of Sikad and Bihag are running for the head of the MSGC.
The MSGC is the program that allows the city residents to closely monitor the implementation of projects. MSGC officers in the barangays will be the ones to plan for the projects in their respective areas.
During the election, Bihag reportedly arrived at the complex bringing with him his .45 cal. pistol and immediately pointed his gun at the City Hall facilitators Nita Balani, Roney Tampus, and Malou Seno.
Sikad said she caught everything on video.
"Pagkakita ni kapitan nako nga nagkuha ko sa video, nasuko siya ug iyaha kong giduol unya giliog ko niya pagtiun sa iyang armas. Nakahupo ko niadtong panahona ug nakasiyagit ko panabang sa mga tawo," Sikad added.
Sikad said she does not know why Bihag acted the way he did since they both supported Quisumbing in the last election and her husband was also a distant relative of the barangay captain.
Quisumbing advised Sikad to execute an affidavit and file a complaint so the city can investigate the alleged incident.
"Needless to say, this behavior is unacceptable in Mandaue City and we are consulting DILG on what actions we may take including preventive suspension," Quisumbing said.
In a separate interview, Bihag said he will give his reply on Monday at City Hall.
"Unya nalang ko mohatag sa akong side paabot lang ko unsa ilang isulti didto sa City Hall," Bihag said.
Captain threatened
In an unrelated development Captain Antonio Caruzca of Pahina-San Nicolas, Cebu City, said he had to use his gun to pacify a man who was threatening others with an improvised shotgun along Garfield Street yesterday afternoon.
The man was later identified as Romeo Lopez, 56, a resident of the same barangay.
Caruzca admitted he pointed his .45 cal. pistol at Lopez to protect others. In a phone interview, Caruzca said he went out of his house and saw Lopez pointing his improvised shotgun at several residents outside his house.
Caruzca said he got his gun and confronted Lopez.
"Nagkuha ko sa akong pusil kay gubot na's gawas. Kuyaw g'yud to kun gipabuto niya'ng improvised shotgun. Nagkuha ko's pusil kay ako naman pud ang gitiunan. Gitiunan nako mura'g way og panagang pud," he said.
Caruzca said he asked someone to call the police who arrived in the area after 15 minutes and arrested Lopez.
Caruzca is hoping that police will file charges against Lopez for creating trouble in his barangay. Police Officer 3 Eric Arnido said they are set to file a case against Lopez for bringing a deadly weapon.
Lopez said he was drunk when he did that and he was also angry because a road project in their place has lasted for so many months already
"Napungot ug naglagot ko kay dugay na kaayo ang dalan nga gitrabaho sa among lugar apan hangtod karon wala pa gayud mahuman," he said.
He added it seems the workers are not taking their jobs seriously.
"Mura man ta og gibuangan sa ilang trabaho, dugay naman kaayo ang maong project apan hangtod karon wala pa mahuman ug mao nang nahutdan nako sa ako pasensya ug nagdala-dala ko og pugakhang aron sa pagpanghadlok," he said.
Lopez said he only planned to threaten people and not to kill because the improvised shotgun, fashioned from a pipe from their deep well, had no shell in it.
After he sobered up, Lopez said he regrets what he did and asked for forgiveness from Caruzca, saying he was just expressing his feelings. Garry B. Lao, Jean Marvette A. Demecillo, Rowena D. Capistrano (FREEMAN)