Village chief, 6 SAP grantees nabbed in drinking session

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – A village chief and six beneficiaries of the government’s Social Amelioration Program (SAP) are facing criminal charges for allegedly resisting and disobeying General Community Quarantine (GCQ) protocols in Negros Oriental.

The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG)-Negros Oriental, filed charges for violation of Article 151 of RPC, in relation to the Executive Order No. 2020-29B issued by Governor Roel Degamo, against the seven persons, whom authorities refused to name while investigation is ongoing.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Ariel Huesca, CIDG-Negros Oriental head, said that the arrest happened on Sunday after they received a report from concerned citizens about an alleged illegal cockfighting at Barangay Looc.

Huesca said that more than 100 persons were allegedly engaging in the illegal cockfighting at the said village that day.

CIDG operatives, along with personnel of the Sibulan Municipal Police Station, Provincial Intelligence Branch, Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team, and 1st company of Provincial Mobile Force responded to the report, but when they arrived, these persons already left the area, although there were traces of the alleged illegal gambling activity in the area.

Huesca said that the seven suspects were allegedly caught in a drinking session and did not wear face masks and did not observe physical distancing, which were violations of the executive order.

Huesca said that the province downgraded from Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) to GCQ since May 1.

Police recovered from them liquor bottles, drinking glasses, and food.

The arrested persons are now under the custody of Sibulan Municipal Police Station.

The national government had earlier warned barangay officials and SAP beneficiaries to never engage in illegal gambling.

SAP beneficiaries are those identified by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) as recipients of the P6,000 cash aid from the government amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Huesca said that the filing of the administrative case against the barangay captain will depend on the discretion of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).