Mayor's bodyguards off the hook
The Iloilo Provincial Police Office (IPPO) has cleared the two close-in bodyguards of Carles Vice Mayor Rodolfo Dumayas from involvement in the protection of illegal fishers in the town.
IPPO Director Sr. Supt. Melvin Mongcal said there is no basis in the allegations hurled against the two bodyguards of Dumayas. He even refused to identify the cops. "There is no need to mention their names," Mongcal said.
TNT sources said the cops who were called by Mongcal over their alleged protection racket in Carles are SPO1 Porferio Bartolome Jr. and PO1 Janno Guillen. The provincial director called the two and made them explain over the information that reached his office.
The information on the two cops' alleged involvement in the illegal fishing activities cropped up because of their frequent presence in the fishing grounds of the town. They were allegedly seen riding in a banca with several fishermen several times.
Mongcal personally went to Carles last Friday to check on the reported involvement of the two bodyguards in illegal fishing.
Mongcal, in a radio interview said there are no concrete and convincing factors that could link the two cops in the illegal fishing activities. The two cops are even responsible for the filing of 13 cases against illegal fishers, he said.
With the clearing of the two cops' name in the illegal fishing activities, the IPPO director has yet to identify on who is behind the illegal fishing activities in the town. Though, illegal fishing activities especially dynamite fishing is rampant in Carles.
The provincial director also refused to confirm reports that it was Mayor Arnold Betita who gave the police the information regarding Bartolome and Guillen's involvement in the illegal fishing activities in Carles.
Betita and Dumayas are at odds as they both ran in different political groups in last May 2007 elections. Earlier, Betita was also alleged by Iloilo Gov. Niel Tupas as behind the illegal fishing activities in Carles. The governor allegedly got his information from the local folks.
Betita strongly denied involvement in illegal fishing activities in his town.