‘Wakee’ pleads not guilty in perjury case

Boxing promoter Rex ‘Wakee’ Salud pleaded not guilty to a perjury case filed against him for allegedly making an untruthful statement when he registered as a voter in barangay Cogon, Cordova town, Mactan Island, Cebu.

Salud was arraigned on Thursday before Municipal Circuit Trial Court (MCTC) Judge Jocelyn Uy-Po.

Chief Insp. Alvin Balio, officer-in-charge of the Cordova police, filed the case against Salud based on a  complaint filed by Vicente Dinoy, a Cogon resident.

Dinoy, 44, filed his opposition to Salud’s application for transfer of voter’s registration on the ground that the boxing promoter is not a resident of the barangay.

Salud, in his affidavit, said he  has been living in Cogon for nine months during his application for transfer.

Two members of the Cogon barangay council, Lorna Nuñez-Cañete and Asela Manayon, also certified that Salud is not a resident of their barangay.

But Cogon barangay captain Andress Dinoy confirmed that Salud has been renting one of the rooms of his house since June 11 last year.

“They don’t  know about the arrangement because they’re not living in our house. Salud arrives home late most of the time. He wants to live here because he’s fond of eating bakasi (local sea eels),” said Andress in Cebuano.

He said  Salud also owns a boxing gym in barangay San Miguel.

The next hearing of the  case is set for  July 26.

Salud  filed a petition  to be  included in the list of registered voters after the Election Registration Board of Cordova disapproved his application for registration.

His transfer fueled talk that Salud plans to run for Cordvoa mayor in 2013 and challenge the reelection bid of  Mayor Adelino Sitoy.

Salud would not confirm or deny the speculation.