CEBU CITY -- The National Bureau of Investigation-Central Visayas (NBI-7) cried foul over the charges that have been filed against some of its personnel in connection with last September’s raid of a cockpit in Minglanilla town, southern Cebu.
In a statement issued on Thursday, March 2, the NBI-7 described the complaints that a cashier of a cockpit filed before the Office of the Ombudsman for the Visayas as ‘trumped-up’ charges.
“The National Bureau of Investigation-Central Visayas takes exception to the published reports on the alleged abuse in the service of search warrant, robbery and grave misconduct by the NBI-7 Director and operatives,” the NBI-7 said in a statement.
“We believe that this issue is related to the refiling of cases by NBI-7 against the illegal e-sabong operators and staff of Amenic n’ Calajoan who continue to defy the order of the President to stop illegal e-sabong activities,” the NBI-7 added.
Two criminal and one administrative complaints were filed against the NBI-7 personnel by Mary Cris Cabalquinto, cashier of the Amenic N’ Calajoan Cockpit.
Among those charged were NBI-7 director Rennan Oliva, supervising agents identified as Wenceslao Galindez and Donaver Inesin; NBI-7 agents Contessa Lastimoso, Agapito Gierran, Bienvenido Panacean and Nino Rodriguez.
Administrative aide Audie Ybiernas, job order employees Erman Mier and Mark Dominique Nadela, and one Michael Castro, a civilian, were also charged.
The charges stemmed from last September 16’s raid that the NBI-7 conducted at Amenic n’ Calajoan where at least 39 persons were arrested after they were caught allegedly operating illegal e-sabong.
In her complaint, Cabalquinto accused the NBI-7 of committing abuse in the service of a search warrant for allegedly searching the areas not mentioned or included in the search warrant.
The complainant also filed robbery complaints, alleging that the cockpit lost P8.3 million during the raid but the NBI-7 declared that only P2.5 million was seized at the time of the operation.
The NBI-7 assured that it ‘will answer all the allegations in accordance with the legal procedure in the proper forum.’
“Rest assured that the NBI will continue to resolutely perform its mandate in providing quality investigative service to the public,” it said.