A NEWSMAN based in Oriental Mindoro yesterday
asked the Supreme Court to issue a writ of amparo against
incumbent and former local officials of Calapan City to protect
him from an alleged murder plot.
In his 20-page petition, broadcaster and
publisher Nilo Baculo, 60, of Camilmil, Calapan asked the court
to grant his prayer for a protection order against respondents,
adding that as a result of threats to his life, he is now in
hiding and has been moving from one safe house to another since
early December last year.
Named respondents were Calapan Mayor Paulino
Salvador Leachon; Rafael Infantado, vice mayor and former
councilor; Antonio Perez, city administrator and former chief of
staff; Allan Manibo, Teddy Jose Flores, Roberto Concepcion,
councilors.
Carlos Brucal, former mayor; Robert Paras,
former vice mayor; Victor Ulayan Jr., Juan Pablo Luna, Federico
Cabailo, Benjamin Cacha, Ralph Rojas, former councilors; a
certain Maximo Evora and Wilfredo Caballero, a businessman.
Harry Roque, Baculo’s counsel, said the
National Union of Journalists of the Philippines has interceded
with the PNP to investigate the threats on his life or to
provide protection to the petitioner, to no avail.
Baculo said his first brush with the
respondents occurred in 1996 when he criticized in his radio
program the Calapan Telephone Systems Inc., a privately-owned
company with franchise to operate and provide telephone and
other communications services.
The majority shareholders of the telecom firm
belong to a wealthy family allegedly related by affinity to
Leachon, who was at that time, city administrator of Calapan.
Baculo said that on Dec. 16, 2007, he learned
that a hired killer had been contracted to kill him for P50,000
before Dec. 25, 2007. However, the would-be hired killer backed
out.
He said assassin-for-hire met him at a
restaurant in Calapan City to divulge the details of the
contract to kill him.
He was also told that the people who are out to have him
killed have advertised their need for the services of a willing
assassin. – Evangeline de Vera
