Not guilty, cop, husband plead to Abu raps

Supt Maria Cristina Nobleza arrives at a court in Tubigon, Bohol, on June 6, 2017 for her arraignment on charges of obstruction of justice. She and her husband pleaded not guilty to charges they were aiding the Abu Sayyaf that infiltrated Bohol in April 2017. (PHOTO BY LEO UDTOHAN / INQUIRER VISAYAS)

TUBIGON, BOHOL—A cold stare.

This was the response of detained Supt. Maria Cristina Nobleza to the threat made by President Duterte that he would hang every traitor in the government.

Nobleza and her husband, Reneer Lou Dungon, were brought to Tubigon town, about 54 kilometers from the Bohol capital city of Tagbilaran, to attend the arraignment for charges filed against them in the Second Municipal Circuit Court on Tuesday.

Both pleaded not guilty to charges of obstruction of justice before Judge Erwin Magallano Ucat in the morning.

They also asked the court to allow them to post bail, said Insp. Fernando Peroramas, chief of Clarin police station.

Peroramas said Nobleza and Dungon had no legal counsel but they were represented by lawyer Lloyd Steven Lim from the Public Attorney’s Office during the arraignment.

Aiding Abus

Dungon and Nobleza were arrested after they refused to stop at a security checkpoint in Barangay Bacani, Clarin, Bohol, on April 22, at the time when government troopers were hunting down Abu Sayyaf members who entered Bohol.

Three bandits were later killed in the operation.

Police recovered medical kits, flippers and snorkeling gear, clothes, first aid kits, food and a government-issued firearm from the suspects’ vehicle.

Police later recovered Nobleza’s mobile phone that contained text messages purportedly from one of the Abu Sayyaf members, begging to be rescued.

Two days after their arrest, police allegedly found bomb parts inside their rented apartment in Panglao town.

Nobleza and Dungon, who are detained at the Philippine National Police headquarters in Camp Crame in Quezon City, arrived at the Tagbilaran Airport past 9 a.m. on Tuesday. They were transported in separate police cars and were heavily guarded.

When asked by reporters for a statement on the President’s earlier remarks, Nobleza, a Muslim, said: “Nag-fasting ako, ayaw ko magsalita (I’m fasting. I don’t want to talk).”

But Nobleza later gave reporters a cold stare and said, “Not guilty.”

The President earlier accused Nobleza of being an “active player” in the Abu Sayyaf group that received money from the Islamic State.

After their arraignment, Nobleza and Dungon were taken to Camp Francisco Dagohoy in Tagbilaran City before they took a commercial flight back to Metro Manila at 3:30 p.m. —LEO UDTOHAN