Estancia locals execute affidavit on Mosqueda-Rapiz near duel
More locals in Estancia, Iloilo have now come out with eyewitness accounts on a near shoot-out vis-a-vis duel of the mayor here and a controversial police officer.
The incident occurred Friday afternoon at the height of the Barangay San Roque fiesta celebration. Involved were Mayor Restituto Mosqueda and Police Chief Inspector Leroy Rapiz of the 608th Iloilo Provincial Mobile Group (IPMG), Iloilo Provincial Police Office (IPPO). Incidentally, Mayor Mosqueda himself is a retired decorated Police General and only months back, was on the ‘rescue’ of Rapiz when hit for his purported “Berdugo” police operations.
Witness accounts were in the form of sworn statements expected to fall into the hands of police probers coming from the Police Regional Internal Affairs Office. This as no less than Chief Superintendent Isagani Cuevas, Police Regional Office (PRO) 6 director immediately ordered a thorough investigation on the incident.
Meantime, Chief Inspector Rapiz was immediately relieved from his post and now ordered ‘back to barracks’ inside Police Regional Office (PRO) 6 headquarters.
The News Today (TNT) in a report learned that consolidated sworn statements gathered thus far backed up earlier police entry of the now infamous incident.
To note, Police Inspector Dwight Fonte Jr., Estancia Police Chief led the investigation of what was then thought by bystanders as a “simple commotion.”
Yet it only took seconds for the situation to escalate when heated arguments were overheard with Rapiz reportedly on the offensive and the mayor on the receiving end.
“…Congressman Junjun Tupas, representative-elect of 5th district Iloilo, visited the celebration of Brgy. Fiesta of Brgy. San Roque. Said Congressman was escorted by elements of 608th IPMG led by P/CI Leroy Rapiz, deputy group director. Said team has 60 cal. as their main fire power. The above named team leader was wearing civilian clothes with his service pistol tucked in his waist with outside holster. Also, the Municipal Mayor attended the fiesta occasion with him were barangay captains of neighboring barangay. While having lunch in one table, due to irritated behavior of PCI Rapiz heated argument transpired between him and the honorable Mayor of the town, Hon. Restituto P. Mosqueda. Mayor Mosqueda held his service pistol tucked-in his waist to defend himself against possible action of PCI Rapiz that would endanger the life of the former. Aggression was calmed and pacified by Hon. Congressman Tupas and his companions brought PCI Rapiz away from the incident. In addition, PCI Rapiz, in fact, shouted outside the barangay hall and challenge the mayor for a gun fight in the middle of the barangay plaza in the presence of the constituents and visitors,” a Police Certification of the blotter report obtained by TNT went.
Head of the police probe is Police Senior Superintendent Ricardo dela Paz, IPPO director.
Dela Paz in an interview over Bombo Radyo disclosed that members of the Regional Internal Affairs Service (RIAS) and Regional Intelligence and Investigation Division (RIID) are on top of the Cuevas-ordered probe.