Cordova Mayor Suspends 2 Brgy. Officials

Cordova town Mayor Adelino Sitoy has ordered the preventive suspension of a barangay captain and a councilman of barangay Ibabao, Cordova for a period of 60 days following the criminal charges that have been filed against them.

The suspension of Barangay Captain Chito Bentazal and brother-Councilman Marvin Bentazal will take effect immediately after they received the copy of Sitoy’s order issued last July 8.

Sitoy has directed councilman Jorge Dinoy to assume as the post acting barangay captain of brgy. Ibabao.

The Bentazal brothers, together with four tanods, Emeliano Bentazal, Teodoro Berdin, Efren Marcillana and James Tampus, are now facing charges for grave coersion and abuse of authority filed by the police before the Cebu Provincial Prosecutors Office.

The case

The case stemmed from the complaint filed by Ruben Co, 50, married and a resident of Barangay Ibabao, the chairman of the committee on entertainment for the barangay fiesta who engaged into a trouble with the concerned barangay officials.

Co said that after he had secured the necessary permits from the office of barangay captain, police and from the mayor’s office to hold a benefit dance last May 10, he hired some personnel to install the sound system and the lighting equipment inside the basketball court.

No Permit

According to Co, Barangay captain Bentazal and Councilman Bentazal arrived at thje place, escorted by the four tanods.

Co said they two officials were very angry because the the barangay captain said he never issued a permit for the dance and directed to stop the installation of the sound system and lights.

Co noticed that Councilman Bentazal was carrying a black tennis racket bag and because it was not properly zipped, he saw a magazine of a firearm inside. Scared that the councilman will do something bad, he grappled for the bag.

Firearm

At this juncture, SPO3 Rolan Pogoy who was there that time quickly responded and Co informed him that Bentazal has a firearm. The four tanods prevented SPO3 Pogoy from arresting the barangay official. Being outnumbered, the policeman managed to disarm Bentazal of his KG9 machine pistol and arrested him.

Co filed a complaint against the barangay captain because he never made moves to arrest his brother for illegal possession of firearms.

The police certified that the barangay councilman has no permit of his gun.

Sitoy also preventively suspended the four tanods for two months.

Mayor Sitoy justified his order to place the two barangay officials under preventive suspension, saying “The evidence of guilt against them being strong and to prevent them from exerting undue influence or pressure on complaining witnesses to the incident.”