Cebu solon seeks House inquiry on Abines family of southern Cebu
Balita News Services
District) has asked Congress to investigate Samboan Mayor Crisologo
"Sol" Abines for his family's alleged abuses in the southern Cebu towns
of Santander and Samboan.
"It is sad to note that while in this country we are known to be
free, the people of the Municipality of Samboan, where the present mayor
is former Congressman Abines, and the people of Santander, where the
mayor is the son of ex-Congressman Abines, are complaining that
'democracy has long been dead and buried in our town'," Kintanar said in
a privilege speech Tuesday.
That developed as the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas prepared
to look into what Abines, as a local chief executive, was doing at an
illegal "tigbakay" (cockfight) in Barangay Looc, Santander Sunday
afternoon when a shooting broke out.
Abines was wounded in the shooting while his alleged assailant,
ex-Army man Pompeo Bureros, was killed by a policeman.
The cockfight in Santander is legal every Sunday as the
organizer, Conrado Trasmil and Co., secured a permit from the mayor.
The permit, dated Jan. 4, 1999, was signed by Municipal Planning
and Development Coordinator Serapion Buscato and SPO3 Egmidio Miramon,
acting Santander police chief, with the approval of Santander Mayor
Arnold Abines.
The shooting incident happened after tension was reported in the
town, some 140 kilometers southwest of Cebu City, between local Roman
Catholic Church officials and their parishioners, and Abines.
Samboan parish priest Enrico Gabutan earlier alleged armed men
had been tailing him.
Residents had also claimed, among other factors, that their
mayor subjected them to water terrorism, closed competing shipping firms
and rejected business permit applications by non-supporters.
Kintanar, who defeated Sol's wife Priscila in the congressonal
race last year, enumerated the alleged wrongdoings when he asked the
House for an invstigation on Tuesday.
"I can no longer ignore the suffering inflicted on the ordinary
citizens of these municipalities whose only crime was to choose a
candidate whom they believe can serve the people of the congressonal
district better," he said.
Kintanar expressed apprehension that the situation in Samboan or
Santander might drive away prospective investors.
He expressed hope that with his privilege speech, he will spur
the House to pass or amend laws in answer to the reported water
terrorism and monopoly of business in the south.
Kintanar also dismissed speculations he is behind the shooting.
Santander Police Chief Miramon had cited a political motive
behind Pompeo's "assault" on Abines.
Pompeo was a political leader of the late Willy Wenceslao, a
former rival of the Abineses in Santander.
He reportedly fired thrice at the mayor last Sunday, but the gun
did not go off at the first attempt.
He wounded Abines when he fired again.
It was after the third shot that he was shot in the head and
died immediately after.
It was the first reported attack on Abines in over 20 years in
office.
Aside from being a three-term congressman, he had also been
mayor of Santander from 1972 to 1986. (PNA) SS/wpt/EB/ad
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