Cuevas: Unfair, not good
Officially, Police Regional Office (PRO) VI or its top cop, PNP Regional Director Chief Supt. Isagani Cuevas, did not receive a single report on the alleged threat on the life of Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas.
Cuevas revealed this amid claims from Treñas that he is not taking seriously the threat on the latter’s life.
During a press conference called by the mayor, he just gave out a smile when asked as to the performance of Cuevas as PNP regional chief.
“Reports like that are very unfair to the PNP. We are being blamed. How could we do it when in fact we did not have any formal complaint? Nobody came to me to report that,” he retorted.
As an example, Cuevas cited reports a few weeks ago about a retired police colonel who allegedly went to Treñas and alleged that two hired killers from Mindanao and Cainta, Rizal were paid to have the mayor killed.
“They did not report that to us. How about if that police colonel just made up tales? They should have made a report so that the police could take proper actions,” he suggested.
Cuevas stressed that the police has so much work to do.
“That’s not our job alone. We could not tell everybody what we’re doing. We have to study that by conducting proper investigation. In fact, when there was a report of a grenade explosion, the investigation is just given to the police. No coordination or support from these people who are supposed to give us information that would lead to the identification of those involved in the grenade explosions was made,” he added.
However, “If we don’t take it seriously, as alleged, we should not have deployed policemen in Iloilo City and its environs.”
Aside from that, they made coordination with the Philippine Army.
With the order of the COMELEC, Cuevas said that Army troops and 100 people from the PNP, aside from the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO)’s existing force, were deployed in Iloilo City.
“I think that’s not good to say that the police is not taking seriously the attempts on the lives of Mayor Treñas, if indeed there is,” the region’s top cop cited.
No threats
Previously, it was gathered that the camp of Treñas made some requests for security after reports of the presence of armed groups in the metropolis.
First, there was the presence of Norberto Manero alias Ka Bukay, a native of Janiuay, Iloilo and a convicted killer of Italian priest Fr. Tulio Favali, was in Jaro district.
“We followed that up,” Cuevas said.
Aside from Manero, there were also reports of the presence of armed groups who are alleged to be RPA-ABB.
“We also verified that. The first report stated that there were 130 RPA-ABB. That’s the report he gave to us. I have directed (Regional Intelligence Division chief) Senior Supt. Cornelio Defensor to verify that. It turned out that, as per verification of Senior Supt. Defensor, the report is not true,” he claimed.
Aside from the said report, Cuevas said that there were also text messages about the presence of armed groups in Iloilo City.
“I directed then ICPO director Senior Supt. Melvin Mongcal but he said that the said armed group referred to the same report which we already acted,” he added.
The report on the alleged threat did not end there.
There was also a report about the presence of a group in Mindanao in Ortaliz residence in Jaro, Iloilo City.
“We checked that also. And no less than the owner of the house disclosed that it’s not true that the group is a guns-for-hire. But the owner claimed that they were their visitors from Mindanao that joined the Candelaria cockfight,” Cuevas stated.
“That’s the action we have taken. Our intelligence groups have monitored that. So far, we have not seen any threat on the Mayor,” the PRO-6 chief declared.
As to the latest report of the former 3 RPA-ABB members who knew about the negotiation to have Treñas killed, Cuevas said that they have to receive it so that they could make proper validation.
“It’s not that we did not do anything about it. It’s just that if a person who said that he wanted to kill another person or being paid to kill somebody, you would take that hook, line, and sinker,” he said adding, “we need to have that investigated so that appropriate actions could be taken against these persons.”
He added that it’s easy for any person to claim that there is a threat on his life.