• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
An elderly man was arrested on Thursday, Sept. 10, following an alleged shooting threat against Negros Occidental Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz II at the Provincial Capitol in Bacolod City the previous day.
However, the 78-year-old suspect identified as alias “John” was apprehended by the police by virtue of an arrest warrant issued by the Regional Trial Court, National Capital Region, Branch 280 in Mandaluyong City for four counts of libel under Article 353 of the Revised Penal Code.
The court has recommended a P40,000 bail for the suspect, who was arrested by the police intelligence personnel in Barangay 9, Bacolod City.
According to the Police Regional Office-Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR), his arrest came a day after he allegedly went to the Provincial Administrator’s Office on Sept. 9 and demanded the withdrawal of a document he had previously submitted.
The man also looked for Diaz, who was not in his office at the time, and allegedly threatened to shoot him before leaving the Capitol.
While the provincial government has yet to decide on whether to press charges against him, Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson stressed the need to strengthen security at the Capitol, particularly measures against bringing firearms into the government complex.
Lacson said some Capitol employees got scared of what the person did although he was not carrying a firearm during the incident.
He said the provincial government is looking at tighter controls on the entry and exit of visitors and plans to invest in metal detectors as part of enhanced security measures.
Asked whether he would pursue the filing of a complaint, Lacson replied: “I think we should leave that to the person who has been threatened”.
Meanwhile, PRO-NIR Director PBrig. Gen. Rudecindo Reales said the police would continue to respond promptly to threats against public officials and government institutions while observing due process.
“We will respond promptly and appropriately to threats against public officials and government institutions. At the same time, we will ensure that every police action remains firmly anchored on the law and that due process is observed,” he added. | GPB
