Negros town mayor says he’ll sue cops for planting evidence

BACOLOD CITY—Pulupandan Mayor Magdaleno Peña on Friday said he would file counter charges against policemen who raided his ancestral home in Barangay Ubay, Pulupandan.

Police enforced a search warrant on Thursday and seized high-powered firearms and explosives from the Peña house.

Peña said the explosives were planted by the police.

There was also no independent witness to corroborate the police accusations the explosives were found in his house, Peña added.

Peña said if police filed charges against him for illegal possession of explosives, he would file counter charges against the police for planting evidence, which is a nonbailable offense.

He said he had advanced information that his house would be searched by police so it would be stupid for him to keep explosives there.

Supt. Maffy Bazar, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group regional chief, denied the explosives were planted.

Bazar said aside from the illegal possession of explosives case, police would also file illegal possession of firearms charges if any of the guns seized in Peña’s house turned out to be unlicensed.

At least 60 of the guns were found licensed, Bazar said. Results of a check for licenses for the rest of the guns are being awaited, said the police chief.

Peña said all the seized firearms that were in the names of four corporations and private individuals are licensed. He said none of the firearms are registered in his name.

Peña, who is supporting the gubernatorial bid of Vice Gov. Genaro Alvarez, also claimed that Negros Occidental Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. is behind the raid.

He said Supt. William Senoron, police regional intelligence chief, who is close to Marañon, orchestrated the raid by issuing an affidavit that was used as basis for the issuance of a search warrant by a Quezon City court.

Marañon denied the allegation, saying police are just doing their job.