Opposing political camps in Tubigon clashed anew in another post-rally incident wherein another supporter of the Liberal Party cried harassment from the other group.
A certain Joel Sabang, a resident of Lilo-an, Cebu who serves as bodyguard of incumbent Tubigon Mayor Marlon Amila, and another guy identified only as Larry—a resident of Libertad, Tubigon—allegedly harassed a certain Jose Liam Jao, a supporter of former mayor William Jao of LP.
Investigation showed that Jose, a 35-year-old resident of barangay Pinayagan Norte, Tubigon, together with two residents of barangay Tinangnan—one Albert Amporado, 17, and William Cosare, 15, were on board a motorcycle on their way home at around 12:05 a.m. yesterday after attending the political rally of the LP mayoralty candidate in barangay Guiwanon when Sabang allegedly harassed them.
Sabang and the guy named Larry were both wearing jackets and caps then and rode on a DT motorcycle near BNYU Building along the road intersection at the Poblacion area of the town then.
The two allegedly followed Jose and his two minor companions and harassed them.
At around 1:30 a.m. SPO1 Omar-Khan Valdez, PO1 Mario Tecson, SPO3 Genaro Borja, and PO1 Gerald Reyes of the municipal police station arrested Sabang and his companion in the presence of the former mayor at Sitio 4 in barangay Pinayagan Norte.
The police officers recovered a Colt MKIV series 80 caliber 45 pistol with serial number 74165 with one magazine containing six cal.45 ammunitions; and one Ingram MII caliber 9mm submachine gun with serial number 337991 with one magazine containing 15 caliber 9mm ammunitions from the possession of Sabang.
Sabang is now under police custody, while the confiscated firearms were submitted to the crime laboratory at Camp Dagohoy in Tagbilaran City for ballistic examination.
Appropriate charges on Violation of R.A. 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act in line also with the Comelec Gun Ban will be filed against Sabang, according to Police Chief Insp. Rully Lauron, officer-in-charge at the Tubigon Police Station.
Just last month, a rally emcee of former mayor Jao, identified as Amado Nitollama Jr., was shot dead in his sleep inside his residence in Macaas, Tubigon.
Nitollama, 51, a former barangay kagawad of Macaas, also came from an LP rally that dawn when shot by an identified assailant.
He arrived home at around 1 a.m. of March 19 after attending a political caucus of LP municipal slate in barangay Pinayagan Sur where he was the emcee.
At around 2:30 a.m. a gunshot woke his wife, Alicia, and the smell of gunpowder filled the room.
Nitollama sustained a gunshot wound in the left side of his head that caused his instantaneous death.
Based on ocular inspection conducted by the police investigator, the gunman probably shot the victim from the window.
According to Jao, he learned that the group of incumbent Mayor Marlon Amila, his opponent, also had a caucus that night in Barangay Tinangnan.
At past midnight, the LP slate wrapped up their caucus in Pinayagan Sur and Nitollama, on his way home, had to pass through barangays Tinangnan and Cabulijan before reaching Macaas where he lived.
Jao believed that the incident was politically-motivated since the victim had been their emcee in caucuses they conducted in the past two months prior to the incident.