By LITO RULONA, Correspondent
THE lawyer of architect Rey Galua yesterday revealed their defense in an effort to convince prosecutors to trash the complaint filed by the police: most of the pieces of evidence were planted.
Galua’s lawyer, former Misamis Oriental provincial prosecutor Arturo Ubaub, accused the police of making up a story against the architect.
He said Galua only owned two guns, both licensed: a 9mm pistol and a caliber .45 pistol.
The rest of the weapons which the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group claimed were seized from Galua’s house in uptown Cagayan de Oro during a raid early this week were planted, said Ubaub.
The CIDG claimed a joined team of law enforcement groups uncovered an arms cache inside the 43-year old architect’s house that included two grenades, two caliber .45 pistols, a 9mm pistol, a caliber .38 pistol, ammunition, M-16 rifle magazines, and a bolo, among others.
Ubaub maintained that Galua only owned two licensed guns.
“What will he (Galua) do with the grenades?” Ubaub asked rhetorically.
He said alleged that law enforcers bungled the raid by not doing it properly.
“Kung raid lang nga insakto dili kami moeklamo. Pero kung pasubrahan pud na dili na kana makatarunganon,” he said.
Ubaub said he would question the pieces of evidence that would be presented against Galua.
“Dili kami mosugot,” he said.
The former prosecutor said that was the reason why he sought a preliminary investigation.
“Mao nga wala kami mosugot nga inquest proceedings,” he said.
Ubaub said there was a brown bag that supposedly contained a revolver and bullets. These, he said, should be examined for fingerprints.
“Kung iya kanang brown bag and other firearms, duna kanay mga fingerprint. Kung iya, wala kitay mahimo. Dawbe kung dili,” he said.
Galua, who was admitted to a hospital instead of being detained at the CIDG headquarters following his arrest, has not released any statement but Ubaub said the architect confided to him that “nakurat siya ngano ingon ana ang nahitabo sa raid.”
Ubaub added: “Mao ang gi-istorya sa akong client nga planted kadtong uban.”
He said Galua also denied that he owns another house raided by the CIDG in Kitcharao, Agusan del Norte on Tuesday night. The CIDG found and seized firearms there.
“Balay kadto sa iyang amahan,” Ubaub said.
Aside from allegedly planting evidence, Ubaub said he would also question why the raid was carried out without barangay officials and other independent witnesses in violation of rules.
“Dapat uban unta ang mga representatives of other sector para walay magduda. Dili baya pud maayo nga mag-raid unya walay makuha,” he said.
Authorities said Galua is considered by them as a “person of interest” in the investigation into the Dec. 2, 2017 killing of University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines president Dr. Ricardo Rotoras.
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