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Bangui mayor clarifies gun issue

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By Alfredo C. Garvida, Jr.
Contributor


BANGUI Mayor Diosdado I. Garvida issued a statement on April 3 that the gun-toting issue lodged against him “is absolutely false, corrupted by people opposed to my untiring drive to bring good governance to my town.”

The gun-toting issue stemmed from an incident last Monday, March 31, when Mayor Garvida went to Barangay Banban to try to stop an illegal quarrying activity being conducted by a certain Junjun Llanes and Celso Ragudo at a private property allegedly owned by a certain Kremlin Alupay.

Garvida said that that was not the first time that he had to stop this group from conducting illegal quarrying activity in Bangui.

He recalls that he had to stop this group three times last month from illegally extracting gravel and sand at Barangay Lanao.

He also added that they were reported to be brandishing high-powered firearms while operating in that area.

Llanes and his group claimed that they were permitted by the alleged owner, Kremlin Alupay, to extract sand dunes from his property when Mayor Garvida challenged their authority to quarry in that area.

The mayor claims that they could not show any quarrying permit from the Provincial Mining Board that's why he had to stop them again.

There is irony in this gun issue in relation to the involvement of Alupay and Ragudo.

Ragudo was the chief of police in Pagudpud when the late mayor Rafael Benemerito, Junjun Llanes' uncle, was shot to death by the then-Pagudpud Mayor Reynolan "Teteng" Sales back in 1998 due to a quarrying issue also.

Ragudo, who allegedly escorted Sales to confront Benemerito, was charged along with the former mayor for the murder but until now the case is still awaiting trial at the Sandiganbayan.

Alupay, an alleged civilian intelligence agent of the Philippine Army and who is said to be carrying a firearm around town all the time, was recently convicted by the Bangui Regional Trial Court for the murder of the then barangay chairman of Barangay Masikil.

Alupay is not spending time in jail for his conviction, however, as he was given an immediate probation by the judge who sentenced him.

The people of Bangui questioned his probation then, and this time around they are asking if his continued carrying a firearm is not a violation of his probation.

Mayor Garvida said Alupay's ownership on the property involved in this issue is also questionable, being that Atty. Pana Llanes is also claiming ownership of the same.

Alupay and Ragudo are alleged to be enjoying the protection and graces of a powerful politician in Bangui who is also believed to be eyeing Mayor Garvida's seat in the next election.

Garvida stressed, however, that his action "was not colored by any political motivation but merely in adherence to my duty as the mayor to enforce the law, no matter who gets hurt."


Garvida added that he will continue to enforce the law in Bangui "under no constraint of fear from criminals."
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