ON August 28, 2018, SunStar Bacolod reported that the local police is trying to locate Moises Padilla Vice Mayor Ella Celestina Garcia-Yulo and her husband, Felix Mathias Segundo Yulo III to serve the two arrest warrants.
Chief Inspector Edfel Balibadlan, chief of Moises Padilla Police Station, said they do not know about the whereabouts of the couple, who was allegedly not seen in the town since Friday, August 24.
The town police went to the residence of the couple on August 24, but they were not there. They have 10 days to serve the warrants of arrest, otherwise, the local court will issue an alias warrant.
La Carlota City Judge Regional Trial Court Branch 63 Cyclamen Jison-Fernandez issued the two arrest warrants for illegal possession of explosives, and illegal possession of firearm and ammunition.
The warrant of arrest for illegal possession of explosives has no bail while the other has a bail of P200, 000 each.
In December 2017, the couple was arrested at Crossing Magallon, in a police checkpoint. They allegedly yielded two fragmentation grenades and several other firearms and alleged illegal drugs.
The drugs were later found to be fake after it was closely examined at the Provincial Crime Laboratory.
The couple’s lawyer, Karol Joseph Chiu, said if there are arrest warrants, it does not mean that his clients are already guilty of the charges against them.
Chiu stressed his clients are entitled to be presumed innocent until proven otherwise.
The vice mayor earlier filed a counter-affidavit following her arrest last year, as she claimed the allegations are based purely on highly malicious, erroneous and fabricated accusations.
The New People's Army (NPA) even came into the defense of the couple, as they too believed the vice mayor and her husband were victims of planted evidence and fabricated allegations.