Murcia Mayor Andrew Montelibano yesterday said a recently released Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office investigation report shows that, contrary to the claim of former Mayor Esteban Coscolluela the shooting of his caretaker at his cockfarm at Hacienda Puyas, Barangay Blumentritt, on December 28 was not perpetrated by armed men.

Coscolluela in a letter to Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr., Montelibano, the police, and Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Deles, said heavily armed men wearing bonnets entered his gamefowl farm in Hacienda Puyas and shot his breeding partner, Bobsy Silverio, who tried to resist another robbery in band attempt by the same group victimizing farms in the area for the last 12 months.

Coscolluela said that was the sixth attempt since June 23, 2011 to rob his gamefowl farm, the most serious of which was on December 21 when 19 gamecocks were stolen.

The former mayor, in his letter, said a policeman disclosed that the talk in the town was that the Revolutionary Proletarian Army was responsible for the robbery, but he denied that he personally said that they were the ones.

He claimed that peace in Murcia was deteriorating at alarming proportions and something should be done.

At a press conference yesterday, Montelibano said the NOPPO investigation report, contrary to Coscolluela’s claim, shows that an armed group were not responsible for the shooting of Silverio.

Montelibano furnished the media the January 12, 2012 investigation report of the NOPPO signed by Police Supt. Noel Mana-ay.

The report said that, after careful perusal and evaluation of the facts Manaa-ay found that there were no armed men or group, specifically the RPA-ABB, present in Hacienda Puyas as alleged by Coscolluela.

The shooting incident that transpired at Coscolluela’s cock farm was due to a quarrel between his caretaker, Silverio, and his other woman and the series of thievery cases was due to the unlawful advantage of his caretaker, Mana-ay said in his report.

Mana-ay recommended that the issue in connection with the open letter of Coscolluela be dropped and closed for lack of merit, as well as his allegation against the Murcia PNP of inutility in resolving the case of thievery.

Montelibano said he did not answer the accusations of Montelibano for three weeks because he was waiting for the police investigation report.

“It is very clear that, contrary to the claim of Cosoclluela, the shooting and robbery in his gamefowl farms, as shown by the police report, was an inside job,” Montelibano said.

It appears that the move of Cosoclluela to discredit the Murcia police that are under his supervision and the peace and order situation in the town is politically motivated, the mayor added.

The Murcia police under his leadership is doing its best, Montelibano said, pointing out that crime has gone down by 60 to 70 percent.

If Coscolluela wants to derail his efforts at public service, Montelibano said, he must do it right because the truth will always prevail.

Montelibano said he is committed to public service in Murcia and his performance will speak for itself.

He does not know what Coscolluela has against the RPA, although he is now denying having accused the group of gamefowl robberies, the mayor added.

Everybody wants peace and the governor and the 32 mayors of Negros Occidental are supporting the government’s ongoing peace process with the RPA-ABB, Montelibano said.

Coscolluela, in return, asked why Montelibano was overreacting.

“Why is he answering for the police, and I never said it was the RPA – all I said was armed people wearing bonnets were involved in the robberies,” he said.

Coscolluela said Montelibano’s problem is that the perception of the people in general is that he is very close to the RPA-APP; especially to Carapali Lualhati who is his friend and who is planning to run for partylist congressman.

All he can say is his farm was hit several times by armed robbers, along with neighboring farms and there has been no solution to these incidents, Coscolluela said.

If the police have a suspect in the shooting of Silverio, why have they not arrested the person, Coscolluela asked.

“From the way Montelibano is reacting, he is the one that has political motivations, I am happily retired,” Coscolluela said.*CPG

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