Charges are being readied against the policemen who staged a raid on its headquarters in Pulupandan and the person who acted as witness who led the court to issue a search warrant, by the Crusade Against Monopoly and Massive Political Harassment.

This was disclosed yesterday by Diego Malacad, CAMMPH spokesman, who said they will file a case against the police for planting of evidence for claiming that they found a smoke grenade during the raid on their headquarters at Manzanilla Street, Zone 5, in Pulupandan town Wednesday. They are also eyeing the filing of perjury charges against Herman Muyco Donasco, a former Pulupandan councilor, who is a political ally of Magdaleno Peña, he added.

Peña, who has refused to say whether he is running for mayor of Pulupandan or not, denied that Donasco is his ally.

The raid on the CAMMPH headquarters was conducted by the Special Operations Group of the Negros Occidental Provincial Police Office and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency by virtue of a search warrant issued by La Carlota City Regional Trial Court Judge Francisco Rodriquez.

Rodriguez, in his search warrant, said that after examining under oath Inspector Robert Dejucos, SOG chief, and Donasco "there are good and sufficient reasons" to believe that Elviro Lagrana, Taplik Lagrana and several unidentified persons have a short firearm, M-14 and M-16 rifles, shabu and marijuana in their house at Manzanilla Street.

The judge ruled following the submission of Donasco's declaration. However, no such items were recovered during the raid.

Malacad also alleged that SPO1 Wennie Espinosa, who was part of the raiding team, has been seen in the company of Peña.

Peña yesterday said he only found out that a raid had been conducted from news over the radio.

The house raided by the police is owned by retired Col. Elviro Lagrana, father-in-law of mayoralty candidate Samson Mondia, that is being rented by CAMMPH.

CAMMPH has been assisting Pulupandan residents who have received notices of ejection from Peña for allegedly squatting on his property and that of his family.

Gov. Joseph Marañon yesterday said if there are claims that the raid was political harassment, the police should verify the matter.

Senior Supt. Rosendo Franco, Negros Occidental police director, yesterday denied that the action of the police was politically motivated and intended to harass.

We sought a search warrant because we received information that there are armed men going to the house that was raided at night who sometimes were using drugs, he said.

Franco said when he met with the owners of the house Wednesday they did not say that there was harassment, but they were saying a different thing to the media. If they have any complaints against the police, Franco said they should file them so they can be addressed.*CPG

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