THE La Castellana Municipal Police Station in Negros Occidental is imposing strict guidelines when visiting Moises Padilla Vice Mayor Ella Garcia-Yulo and her husband, Felix Mathias Segundo Yulo III, who are in their custody.
The Yulo couple, who both have arrest warrants for illegal possession of explosives and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, surrendered to Chief Superintendent John Bulalacao, director of Police Regional Office (PRO)–Western Visayas, at the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) on Tuesday, September 11.
Chief Inspector Irma Teoxon, town police chief, said the couple was turned over to them by Senior Superintendent Francisco Ebreo, acting BCPO director, past 1 p.m. upon the order of La Carlota City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 63 Judge Cyclamen Jison-Fernandez.
They were assured by Bulalacao of their protection while they are under the custody of the police, and will provide assistance to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) if they will be committed to another jail.
Teoxon said he immediately informed Senior Superintendent Rodolfo Castil Jr., director of Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (Nocppo), about it and advised her to request for an augmentation team from the second company of the Provincial Mobile Force Company.
“They were detailed at the police station to augment with the existing personnel for the security of the vice mayor and her husband,” she added.
Teoxon said they are implementing strict policies on the visitation procedure since the vice mayor has been receiving threats.
“I usually ask them if they are willing to talk or accommodate their visitors,” she said.
Teoxon said all visitors have to log in before seeing them. The Yulo couple is being strictly guarded at the town’s custodial facility.
Teoxon said there were no significant personalities who visited them since Tuesday, September 11.
The vice mayor earlier said they will face the charges against them, stressing they have no intention to hide as she considered the cases political harassment.
She said they are planning to post the P200, 000 bail each for their illegal possession of firearms and ammunition case while they will wait for the decision of the court in their other case, which has no bail.
The two arrest warrants came after they were arrested in a police checkpoint at Crossing Magallon on December 19, 2017.
The vice mayor took an indefinite leave from her work at the municipal hall.
Meanwhile, Ka JB Regalado, spokesperson of Leonardo Panaligan Command (LPC) of the New People’s Army (NPA), in a press statement dated September 12, said they appreciated the couple’s action to surrender to the authorities.