CIDG presses charges against Barros, 17 others

By JOEY NACALABAN
Correspondent
with FROILAN GALLARDO
Special Correspondent .

THE Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) yesterday pressed a string of cases against the barangay chairperson of Kinawe, Libona town her husband and over a dozen others in Manolo Fortich town in Bukidnon.

SPO4 Noel Oclarit of the CIDG said barangay chairperson Cherry Barros of Kinawe and 17 others were brought to the town’s trial court for inquest proceedings.

They were charged with direct assault, frustrated murder, attempted murder, and illegal possession of firearms and explosives.

Along with the barangay chairperson, charged were Jenny Kris Quinoñes-Bolocan, Jenefer Aligami-Bartolaba, Allyn Valeriano, Merlie Flores,  Marialita Ponce;

Rene Medina, Margie Yap-Contar, John Eric Medina, Junie Quilicot, Melito Opeña;

Sosimo Bation-Palinod, Joseph Padyhag, Munry Villanueva, Necasio Ponce, Peter Gore Jr., Solomon Flores-Argente, and Necasio Barros.

Oclarit said investigators were looking into allegations that some of the suspects are of the dreaded Kuratong Baleleng of Ozamiz city.

“Amo pang gaipalaluman ang imbestigasyon kay sa among nahibaw-an, aduna daw tulo kabook diha sa nangadakpan nga mga hired killers nga sa ato pa mga hardcore,” Oclarit said.

Oclarit also confirmed the barangay chairperson and Ricardo “Ardot” Parojinog are close friends.

Parojinog has gone into hiding after police raided the homes of the Parojinogs in Ozamiz City last year. His brother Reynaldo, Ozamiz’s mayor at that time, was among those killed.

Oclarit said Barros’s husband Tarcisio is still being sought by authorities.

He said Tarcisio, considered armed and dangerous, escaped during the Kinawe raid on Saturday with a still unidentified companion.

Camp Alagar spokesperson Supt. Lemuel Gonda said one of the suspects, Peter Gore Jr.,  is Barros’s British son-in-law.

Gonda said three soldiers were wounded when Barros’s group traded shots and lobbed a grenade at authorities.

Capt. Tere Ingente, spokesperson of the 4th Infantry Division, confirmed that the raiding team was serving search warrants when Barros’s followers fired shots at 2 am Saturday.

“Initially the team members were disoriented because it was very dark. There was also a high concrete wall around the compound,” Ingente said.

Ingente said by morning, soldiers were able to search six houses in the compound and found several high-powered firearms and explosives.

The firearms included a shotgun, a caliber .30 Springfield rifle, five caliber .45 pistols, a caliber .38 revolver, a caliber .40, a grenade, and assorted pistol magazines and ammunition.

A nationwide gun ban is ongoing due to the May 14 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan polls. The gun ban is imposed from April 14 to May 21.

The last day of filing certificates of candidacy for barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan officials was on Saturday. The campaign period is from May 4 to May 12.