The ambush story with Carmen Mayor Che Toribio de los Reyes as the supposed target and went kaput just as fast as it was feasted by the city’s two radio stations has turned out to be a big hoax. Police Inspector Ceasar Vergara Accompanado, Carmen chief of police, jumped the gun on his own patron Mayor Toribio de los Reyes, when he certified in a police blotter that there was no ambush in barangay Buenos Aires, Carmen town. It was Mayor de los Reyes who phoned the police chief about the traffic accident right after it happened. According to the ambush yarn, big stones were littered along the highway in the night of October 13, causing two of the vehicles in a convoy of the Carmen mayor to bump each other. The same police blotter as attested by the chief of police indicated that the mayor’s Toyota Land Cruiser was bumped by the Mitsubishi Strada owned by contractor Wilhemn Go. Both vehicles were damaged. With the ambush angle out of the question, tongues start wagging if at all the same was stage-managed in order to justify plans of the lady mayor for an increase of armed bodyguards.

On the heels of the ambush canard, the outspoken lady mayor went on air Tuesday and lost no time to blame the usual suspects who were out to cut short her gubernatorial plans. In the same radio interview, she minced no words in “demonizing” Gov. Edgar Chatto and Provincial Administrator Alfonso “Ae” Damalerio as the “ambush” suspects. In response, Gov. Chatto lost no time in calling the attention of Police Supt. Constantino Paul Barot, Jr, provincial police director, and Director Edward Villarta of the National Bureau of investigation to conduct an investigation and validation of the alleged ambush report. Just as fast that it was feasted on the air at Station DYTR when Station DYRD joined the fray. As the ambush story became the top tune in the two radio stations for the past two days starting Tuesday, when the police blotter of the Carmen police chief shot down whatever pretenses of a breaking news item. What was strange about the Saturday ambush incident was that no police reporter was able to get first hand information about the story until Tuesday morning when Mayor Che went on the air.

HEAVILY GUARDED

A Capitol press release said that the lady mayor is heavily guarded because she has allegedly numerous criminal charges in different courts earning her in the process so many enemies. Citing accounts from concerned Carmenanons, they suspected that it was a clear exaggeration regarding the report of a vehicular accident of the mayor’s convoy in Buenos Aires, Carmen at near midnight of October 13 into an “ambush” adding that it was intended to justify more armed escorts. The same press release added that the ambush issue, which was purely imaginary based on the police investigation, has been forced by the mayor and her cohorts topped by Tagbilaran City Mayor Dan Lim apparently to gain political mileage. Carmen constituents confirmed that De los Reyes has been maintaining armed bodyguards long before she became mayor. For them, the image of their town must not be dragged into whatever personal troubles she had in her past private dealings.

The several criminal cases filed in different courts in the country, including those in Bohol, for various alleged offenses have likewise been raised to the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and Philippine National Police (PNP). This was confirmed on Friday by retired Boholano PNP Gen. Alberto Olario, who has himself tagged De los Reyes in the Ombudsman for alleged robbery and slander by deeds, violation of domicile or trespass to dwelling, illegal arrest, search and seizure, and grave coercion. Texting from Manila in reply to a media query, Olario said the DILG and PNP national and regional offices are aware of De los Reyes” “abuses” and the pending complaints he filed against the lady mayor in the Ombudsman. In her letter-complaint to the DILG and PNP in March this year, the retired general asked the two agencies to “facilitate and find out the veracity of reports of her (De los Reyes) 32 counts of estafa cases in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao before she became mayor of Carmen.” He requested the same involving the “persons and cases of Zosimo Ordoñez and Francisco De los Reyes” whom the general said are “former and present lovers,” respectively, of the mayor.

The alleged cases for violation of Batas Pambansa (BP) 22, estafa and/or swindling were filed in different courts in Cabanatuan City in Nueva Ecija, Santiago City in Isabela, Cavite City, Bacoor in Cavite province, Makati City, Antipolo in Rizal, Mangaldan in Pangasinan, Osamis City in Misamis Occidental, and Tagbilaran City in Bohol. As respondent, De los Reyes was named in the charge sheets as either “Conchita Toribio (which is her maiden name), Conchita Toribio-Ordoñez or Conchita Toribio-De los Reyes.” There were separate charges against the male Ordoñez and the mayor’s present husband De los Reyes. The lady De los Reyes was further sued in a Northern Samar court for alleged illegal practice of medicine. The male De los Reyes was charged with alleged robbery with homicide in Negros Occidental, illegal possession of firearms in Bulacan, frustrated homicide in Zamboanga City, threat in Basilan, and robbery in a public building in South Cotabato. The male Ordoñez was sued, too, for alleged frustrated homicide in Cavite and acts of lasciviousness in Pampanga.

The general attached to his letter to the DILG and PNP what he calls “informants’ narration of events and activities attributed to the mayor and her cohorts and dossier of criminal cases against her and some men believed tied up with the mayor.” De los Reyes’ twin sister, Angelita Toribio-Abundo, was also accused in a case for alleged estafa with abuse of confidence. Also in his text message replying to the media query, Olario said he has yet to check the update of the cases while there are allegedly pending or returned warrants of arrest or alias warrants of arrest in certain cases. “If the warrants of arrest issued against them are still unserved, please let them be served in fairness to their victims and so that the wheels of criminal justice will be enforced,” Olario asked the DILG and PNP. Further, Olario brought to the DILG-PNP attention the “apparent continuing reign of terror perpetrated by the mayor of Carmen, her cohorts, task force and armed goons.” “Do we still have this kind of public officers at this time of Pres. Pinoy’s ‘matuwid na daan?’” the general asked the DILG and PNP.

Carmen police chief Insp. Caesar Vergara Acompañado assured the media in a chance interview that his command will cooperate if there is any arrest warrant from the court that has to be served. Appearing to the media right after the Kita ug Ang Gobernador broadcast at the Governor’s Mansion here Friday, Acompañado put the record straight: “There was no ambush, not even an attempt, on the mayor and her convoy.” His reaffirmation of an earlier police finding totally dismissing the ambush tale could be “suicidal” to his Carmen stay as police chief. Sources said Acompañado has long wished to be transferred from De los Reyes’ territory. Olario divulged the estafa/bouncing check/swindling cases against De los Reyes even if the latter had bragged on the radio about her “richness” that “there is no more space to keep her money in.” Talks were spread out that De los Reyes earns “millions” daily. But Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) documents on comparative income statements show that De los Reyes’ soap business Beauche International By Conchita Inc. declared its annual net earnings of only P29,898.42 in 2008, P48,698.44 in 2009 and P258,984.88 in 2010. Well-meaning Bohol citizens noted that, together with the city mayor, De los Reyes wide-mouthed of “dignified renewal” advocacy Bag-ong Bol-anon yet at the same time elevated money politics to god level on hope of getting votes.

PA REACTS

Damalerio, when asked for his comment regarding the allegations, simply laugh off such raps and said such way of thinking comes only from people, who are likewise, have wicked minds or those facing several court cases and are fugitives from the law. The Carmen police chief showed photographs of the road and the vicinity saying the place could not be possibly a perfect place to stage an ambush. “When we had a visibility patrol in the area, we did not find stones on the road. But after Mayor Che reported an accident in the area, the stones were all there, scattered to both side of the road,” Acompañado expressed his surprise. What he actually saw in the scene were two vehicles, both having slight damage; the first vehicle on which the mayor rode and the other, close behind a car owned by a certain contractor. There were no signs or traces of guns that might have been used in the alleged failed ambush.

Reports of two suspects arrested could not also be linked positively to the alleged ambush attempt on the Carmen mayor. The two suspects were believed to be copper wire thieves, targeting electric lines along the highway. Confiscated from the suspects were merely a knife and no guns. The Carmen police chief reaffirmed an earlier police finding totally dismissing the ambush tale. Police chief Acompañado said he is not bothered if the Carmen mayor gets angry at him for revealing what really happened and for coming to the Governor’s radio program. What he did could be suicidal to his post as police chief but sources said Acompañado has long wished to be transferred away from Carmen. The several criminal cases faced by Delos Reyes filed in different courts in the country, including those in Bohol, for various alleged offenses have been raised to the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and Philippine National Police (PNP).

This was confirmed on Friday by retired Boholano PNP Gen. Alberto Olario, who has himself tagged De los Reyes in the Ombudsman for alleged robbery and slander by deeds, violation of domicile or trespass to dwelling, illegal arrest, search and seizure, and grave coercion. Texting from Manila in reply to a media query, Olario said the DILG and PNP national and regional offices are aware of De los Reyes” “abuses” and complaints are now filed against the lady mayor in the Ombudsman. In her letter-complaint to the DILG and PNP in March this year, the retired general asked the two agencies to “facilitate and find out the veracity of reports of her (De los Reyes) 32 counts of estafa cases in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao before she became mayor of Carmen.” He requested the same involving the “persons and cases of Zosimo Ordoñez and Francisco De los Reyes” whom the general said are “former and present lovers,” respectively, of the mayor.

NUMEROUS CASES

The alleged cases for violation of Batas Pambansa (BP) 22, estafa and/or swindling were filed in different courts in Cabanatuan City in Nueva Ecija, Santiago City in Isabela, Cavite City, Bacoor in Cavite province, Makati City, Antipolo in Rizal, Mangaldan in Pangasinan, Osamis City in Misamis Occidental, and Tagbilaran City in Bohol. As respondent, De los Reyes was named in the charge sheets as either “Conchita Toribio (which is her maiden name), Conchita Toribio-Ordoñez or Conchita Toribio-De los Reyes.” There were separate charges against the male Ordoñez and the mayor’s present husband De los Reyes. The lady De los Reyes was further sued in a Northern Samar court for alleged illegal practice of medicine. The male De los Reyes was charged with alleged robbery with homicide in Negros Occidental, illegal possession of firearms in Bulacan, frustrated homicide in Zamboanga City, threat in Basilan, and robbery in a public building in South Cotabato.

The male Ordoñez was sued, too, for alleged frustrated homicide in Cavite and acts of lasciviousness in Pampanga. The general attached to his letter to the DILG and PNP what he calls “informants’ narration of events and activities attributed to the mayor and her cohorts and dossier of criminal cases against her and some men believed tied up with the mayor.” De los Reye’s twin sister, Angelita Toribio-Abundo, was also accused in a case for alleged estafa with abuse of confidence. Also in his text message replying to the media query, Olario said he has yet to check the update of the cases while there are allegedly pending or returned warrants of arrest or alias warrants of arrest in certain cases. “If the warrants of arrest issued against them are still unserved, please let them be served in fairness to their victims and so that the wheels of criminal justice will be enforced,” Olario asked the DILG and PNP.

Further, Olario brought to the DILG-PNP attention the “apparent continuing reign of terror perpetrated by the mayor of Carmen, her cohorts, task force and armed goons.” “Do we still have this kind of public officers at this time of Pres. Pinoy’s ‘matuwid na daan?’” the retired general asked the DILG and PNP. Carmen police chief Insp. Caesar Vergara Acompañado assured the media in a chance interview that his command will cooperate if there is any arrest warrant from the court that has to be served. Olario divulged the estafa/bouncing check/swindling cases against De los Reyes even if the latter had bragged on the radio about her “riches” and that “there is no more space to keep her money in.” Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) documents on comparative income statements, however, showed that De los Reyes’ soap business Beauche International Inc. declared its annual net earnings of only P29,898.42 in 2008, P48,698.44 in 2009 and P258,984.88 in 2010. The SEC figure does not reveal the portrayed millions in the mayor’s highly bruited logistical resources. Efforts to contact Mayor Delos Reyes for her comments failed until this paper went to press last night.

PNP BOHOL ABSOLVES BOHOL OFFICIALS OF AMBUSH ATTEMPT

Police Supt. Constantino Paul Barot, Jr. of the Bohol Philippine National Police absolved yesterday Gov. Edgar Chatto and three other Bohol officials of having a hand on the ambush attempt on the life of Carmen Mayor Che Toribio de los Reyes last October 13 in barangay Buenos Aires, Carmen town. The local PNP made the conclusion in a two-page investigation report sent by Supt. Barot to the Post last night after he was ordered by Gov. Chatto to look into allegations of an ambush try of the Carmen mayor who is her opponent for governor. Mayor de los Reyes complained to her favorite media outlet that Gov. Chatto, Provincial Administrator Ae Damalerio, Cong. Rene relampagos and Trinidad Mayor Roberto Cajes as having plotted to kill her. According to the Barot report, the accusations against the officials as behind the ambush was a product of her malicious imagination aimed at destroying the reputation of her political rivals. With Barot’s conclusion, he recommended that the concerned government agency which has authority over elected government officials would take cognizance of the case and therefore commence an inquiry to determine the real motive of the lady mayor. At the same time, the PNP report practically seconded the findings of the Carmen police that it was a traffic accident that took place on October 13 rather than an ambush attempt. (With reports of Ven rebo Arigo)