Virac, Catanduanes—Outgoing Rep. Cesar V. Sarmiento of the lone district of Catanduanes denounced moves by unidentified men to scare him and his brother, Jorge V. Sarmiento, into backing out of the electoral race for governor and representative, respectively.
The Sarmiento brothers told the Catanduanes police that five suspects armed with long firearms and wearing military uniforms and bonnets barged into the congressman’s residence at Barangay Ibong Sapa, Virac in the evening of May 4, barely nine days into the elections.
A report from the Catanduanes Police Provincial Office said that once inside Sarmiento’s residence, the unidentified men handcuffed two guards/caretakers on duty—Rey Vargas y Morales, 71 years old, and John Tabios y Torzar, 31 years old—and one bystander identified as Antonio Barba y Avila, 60 years old, a tricycle driver who happened to be at the area during the incident.
The suspects then proceeded to the receiving area, destroyed its lock and went to the master’s bedroom. Sarmiento’s grandson and a companion known as Joseph Calleja who were inside the room were able to hide before the suspects gained entry into the room.
Other rooms were also forcibly opened by the suspects who appeared to be searching for something or someone. An attempt to open the room where, Sarmiento’s wife, Estela Marie, and daughter, Sharita Sarmiento, proved futile.
The suspects fled towards the poblacion area of Virac on board a maroon SUV. Virac MPS is conducting further investigation on the incident.
The three-term Sarmiento, who is challenging the candidacy of incumbent Catanduanes Gov. Joseph Cua said the forcible entry into his residence constituted not only harassment but an attempt to kidnap his grandson.
“I am appalled that it was just labelled as pure harassment by the Catanduanes provincial police. But trying to kidnap the congressman’s grandson where the perpetrators forcibly entered the house, destroyed the door locks and such was just branded harassment,” said Sarmiento’s brother Jorge.
He slammed the brazen act of intimidation on an incumbent member of Congress who is the provincial chairman of the PDP-Laban.