Garma doubts strafing claims

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Police Office Director Royina Garma is doubtful if there was really a strafing of the house of the Barangay Mayor's Office (BMO) head in Sudlon I past 11 p.m. last Saturday.

Garma, in a phone interview with reporters, said that no complainant came forward to substantiate the claims of strafing.

"Ewan natin kung strafing ba talaga. Oh sila nag-strafing? wala naman nagreport nalalaman na lang namin sa inyo," Garma said.  (I don’t know if there was really a strafing incident that happened because no one reported to us.  We only learned about it from the media.)

She said that they sent policemen to investigate despite the lack of complainant.

"But nagpapadala naman ako ng pulis to check if totoo ang report. Wala naman nagrereport kami na nga ang reach out. Ano ba gusto niya?" she said.  (I sent my men to check if the reports are true because nobody came to us.  We are the ones who reached out. What does he (Mayor Tomas Osmena) want?)

Garma admitted that they have not identified the attackers because none of the victims came to them.

She explained that they can only identify possible persons of interest if they have a background of the victim.

"Bakit magkaka-suspect kung mismo biktima hindi humaharap? Hindi namin alam if totoo kasi walang lumapit na nakakita o nakakinig," she said.  (How can we have suspects when the victims have not come forward? We don’t even know if it’s true.)

To recall, in less than 24 hours, two strafing incidents took place.  The first was the strafing of the house of BMO head Amor Cabiles in Barangay Sudlon I.  He believes that the strafing by Tagalog-speaking men was politically motivated.  Recovered were slugs of .45 caliber pistol.

The second was the strafing of the Chevrolet showroom of Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) President Franklyn Ong in Mandaue City at 1 a.m. last Saturday.

Police Colonel Julian Entoma, director of Mandaue City Police Office, said they are looking into the possibility that attack may be connected to the strafing of the houses in Barangay Sinsin village chief Aurello Lascuña and Barangay Sudlon Dos village chief Prescillo Albores last month.

The CCTV footage retrieved from the strafing of Ong's establishment caught a white van used by the attackers which police suspect is the same white van that was also seen during attacks in the mountain barangays of Cebu City. (FREEMAN)