Mayor Eric Codilla signs the covenant for peaceful elections sponsored by PPCRV and Comelec.
ORMOC CITY – Two alleged bodyguards of an unnamed politician, reportedly from this region, were caught in Cebu City during a buy-bust operation for drugs last March 4, Thursday. The two were caught with three others, all natives of Cebu, who are known members of a notorious drug ring.
The car used by the gang to transport the drugs, on the other hand, is owned by an Ormocana Alice Jean Catingub, the daughter of local fishing magnate Rosita “Cita” Catingub.
The alleged bodyguards of the unnamed politico are Ronie Pocson y Tomada, 38, of Barangay Mabini, this city, and Cipriano A. Diano, 36 of Brgy. Tinago, Benolho, Albuera, Leyte.
Also caught with them were Noel C. Diaz alias Nimzu, 35, his younger brother Reynaldo alias Jumbo, 31, and Roland “Kerwin” E. Espinosa, 30, all of Cebu. The Diazes, according to news reports in Cebu and Manila papers, are brothers of Jaguar Diaz, a convicted “drug lord” who is now serving a 20-year sentence at the national penitentiary.
The group were caught with P280,000 worth of shabu or methampethamine hydrochloride by operatives of the Cebu City Police Office.
Confiscated also from four of the suspects were four caliber .45 pistols, and 35 rounds of ammunitions.
Meanwhile, in a report of the incident published at the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Sr. Supt. Patrocinio Comendador Jr., city police director, was quoted as saying that Poscon and Diano were found to be security escorts of a politician whose name “he refused to reveal”.
Comendador also reportedly said that the two showed permits to carry firearms, but added they have not verified the authenticity of the documents.
He added that while his operatives were negotiating with the Diazes for the drugs, Pocson and Diano came out of the black Toyota Hilux with plate number ZTS-766 registered to Alice Jean Catingub “that were being used by the drug dealers”.
The two even reportedly attempted to fire their guns at the cops, but thought twice when they saw the large number of police. “Pocson and Diano initially attempted to draw their pistols but were taken aback because of the “adequate” number of police operatives that surrounded them.”, said a report of the Cebu Daily News, as related to them by police Supt. Pablo Labra II, Cebu City Anti-illegal Drug Special Task Force (Caidsotf) commander and Chief Insp. George Ylanan of the Investigation and Detective Management Branch, in a press conference.
Comendador, on the other hand, said Pocson and Diano admitted during questioning that they have been working as bodyguards for a politician from Eastern Visayas.
Another Pocson
brother
Meawhile, the older brother of Ronie Pocson y Tomada, one Michael Pocson y Tomada, 42, was nabbed earlier in the week at a Comelec checkpoint in this city for violation of the Comelec gun ban at around 11:10 in the evening of Tuesday, March 2.
Michael Pocson is a member of the Civil Security Unit of the city government of Ormoc, and a close buddy of one of the ruling Codillas’ top political organizers Tranquilino “Dodong” Tasan.
Pocson was caught by Ormoc cops at Brgy. Canadieng where a checkpoint had just been put up. He was initially flagged down by the cops for wearing no helmet. That was when they found him armed, and was not only driving without a license but his motorcycle’s registration already expired.
The apprehending policemen, PO3 Richard Alvero II and PO2 Emanuel Parac in their affidavit said that when they demanded for his license, Pocson told cops that he had none.
When they asked him for an ID, he reached towards his back pocket and that was when they saw a gun sticking out from his waistband on the right.
Confiscated from Pocson was a caliber .45, without the “necessary papers”. The gun was marked Colt Automatic Government Model with serial number 526138.
The apprehending officers said that Pocson told them he was an ex-Army and was just carrying the gun for his own protection.
Michael Pocson, according to sources at the Hall of Justice here, is the same person who testified against one Hermilo Tolibao in the shooting of his buddy Tranquilino Tasan almost a decade ago. Tolibao was a known leader of former congressman and Ormoc Mayor Carmelo Locsin, once the bitter political rival of the Codillas.
Sources who know the Pocsons said they are supporters of the ruling Codillas.
The suspect, meanwhile, is now out on bail after one Rogelia Tomada posted a P6,000 cash bond for his temporary liberty. An order for his release was issued by Executive Judge Apolinario H. Buaya on March 3, the next day of his arrest.
“They” borrowed vehicle
On the other hand, Alice Jean Catingub, the owner of the vehicle caught in Cebu with the drugs, has not answered a message sent to her via her Facebook account by this reporter, for an interview to clarify why her car was caught transporting drugs and personalities known engaging in the trade.
In her Facebook’s public wall, however, Ms Catingub has posted on Saturday, March 6, that “its hard to trust ppl these days. They’ll put u in BIG trouble. Today, im going to clear out my name. And i just hope everything’s going back to normal…”
“God knows i didnt have to do anything with thse. They asked me if they can borrow the car and i said yes coz i trusted them. But this is what ive got, total embarrasment! I dont know how to face the world”.
She added “…to those friends who believed in me, thank u…don’t worry God knows the truth. Im going to clear out my name.”
Ms Catingub did not name who “they” were who borrowed her car. But mutual friends of this reporter and hers surmise it must be somebody they trust so much, enough to lend their car to be brought to Cebu. By Lalaine M. Jimenea
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{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Klaro na kaayu…mga body guard sa mga CODILLA…unsa nalay future a head sa a2 Ormoc kong kining klase mga tawhana ato iboto.
SHAME ON U…Pretending pa kamo man diay nagdala dako sindikato sa Drugs..
IBOTO NINYO MGA DRUG LORD…..tsk tsk tsk
What ashame klaro na bisan unsaon pa, ingon pa mo dili abuso mga body guard sa mga Codilla sila rman lagi nag abusar bantug sila administration…kinsa mga body guard nadakpan sa Comelec check point sa Can-adieng nga armado body guard sa mga codilla gihapon!!!
TO Alice Jean Catingub…If u want to clear out ur name and maybe mawala ang pagduda sa mga tawo. Nga involved ka niini nga sindikato…Come out into the open isulti sa publiko kong kinsa ang nag borrow sa imo car?
If magpakahilom ka lang aw klaro na kasangkot ka sa sindikato. Or nagpakahilum ka kay hadluk ka kay usa ka dako nga politician sa ormoc ang master mind.
Ngano dili man nimo isulti nga si Winnie Codilla ang Drug Lord sa ormoc…Ka wla nay uwaw gusto pa mag congressman…Cguro iya himoon nga Shabu Paradise ang Ormoc.
Tama na bistado namo.
Hala Mis Catingub usa diay ka sa Drug lord noh, ngano imo man Toyota Hilux ang gigamit. Nako ka wla namo magdahom dghan ang na praning tungod sa drugas, mga krimen nga nahimo niini. Mga studyante na undang sa pag skwela tungod sa bisyo. Mao diay Ormoc has the highest rate in drugs case in the entire region 8. Ky naa raman diay dinhi ang mga Satanas…Mao nga ikaw Ms Catingub kung kinsa pa man na imo mga kauban sa sindikato angay mong BITAYON!!! Sayang wla ng silot sa silya elktrika angay jud mo niana.
Naunsa, wala pa gani gi nganlan ang pangalan sa politician nga drug lord, inyo naman gi nganlan si winnie codilla, paita gyud aning ma disqualified ta, kay gamiton dayon ang issue na droga, hehehe, kindly post some proof here, like report from the pdea, thorough investigation dili kay, magpataka lang mo ug yaw-yaw, ka way nada ninyo uy… tsk.tsk.tsk. puros man sad mo mga drug adik….
Ikaw maoy drug adik mutabon pa japon ka bisan unsaon pa pagtuwad tuwad ang Isyu motumbok ra gihapon sa mga CODILLA. Hahaha maayu diay mopalusot og Shabu ang mga sakop sa Civil Security Unit sa City Hall sa Ormoc… tiang man ang giingon sa balita mga body guard sa usa ka poilitician. So asa man diay nga city hall nag alagad ang mga CSU nga nadakpan d ba CSU sa city hall ormoc…Tiang man mopasangil ka ni Gomez HAHAHA haskang bogoa jud nimo noh….tsk tsk tsk
Kamong mga TOROTOT sa mga codilla wla namoy lusot take nalang mog SHABU. tsk tsk tsk
Go Codilla….Go SHABU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Go Codilla….Go SHABU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Go GOMA, Drug Free Country!!!Drug Free City!!!Illegal Free Municipality!!! Free nang Tanan!!!
dont put all the blame with alice catingub kay nganu naa mu evidence?the problem with you people you just always jump into conclusions.