• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The issue over the discovery of two bullets at the Food Terminal Market of Occidental Negros (FTMON) in Bacolod City, which is managed by the provincial government, refuses to die down, as the investigation took another twist after the owner was identified yesterday by Provincial Administrator Atty. Rayfrando Diaz, as a Job Order employee of the Capitol.
This was contrary to the claim of Renelo Lastierre, head of the Capitol Security and Safety Division, that the owner of the bullets is a member of military intelligence unit who had claimed that the bullets fell from his bag.
Lastierre earlier said that it was already “case closed,” after the owner surfaced and claimed the bullets.
Diaz said the person who claimed ownership of the bullets, turned out to be a Job Order employee assigned at the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist, contrary to claims that he is connected to a military intelligence unit.
He said he now believes that the placing of the two bullets on July 3 was intentional, to coincide with the renewal of contracts of JOs and Contract of Service employees.
Diaz also entertained the possibility that the incident is believed to aim at threatening an employee of the Human Resource Office, who was providing information that led to the dismissal of employees assigned at SSD.
“We don’t take these things lightly. We think it’s isolated and directed to the person who they think is responsible for non-renewal of their job contracts,” the Provincial Administrator said.
Lastierre had said that he is not inclined to believe that the intention or motive, was in the form of a threat to anyone in the provincial government. If nobody had surfaced to claim ownership of the bullets, we can say that there is a possibility, he stressed.
Lastierre admitted earlier that the job contracts of four SSD personnel were not renewed, and he respects the decision of authorities. He was also stripped of supervision over the blue guards, vehicles issued to SSD were recalled, along with his firearm. However, he still retains supervision of more than 50 paid watchmen of the Capitol.
Diaz said they will not stop until the culprits are identified.
“Fingerprints should have been taken. The watchmen compromised the evidence. I even told them not to touch it because we want the investigators to handle the evidence. As security personnel they should know the protocols for handling evidence,” Diaz further said, apparently referring to the recovered bullets.
He further claimed that SSD gave lots of excuses when he sent people to check the CCTV footage.
There seems to be “a conspiracy to sabotage” the operation of the provincial government, Diaz claimed.
Diaz also said that he will recommend the dismissal from government service of the JO, who is assigned at OPA, for possession of live ammunition.*
