VILLAGE chief Manuel Huelar of Barangay 35 in Bacolod City has posted bail for his provisional liberty amounting to P280,000 for robbery and vehicular theft.
Huelar said being able to post bail would allow him to defend himself in the right forum.
Arrest warrants were issued by Regional Trial Court Judge Eduardo Sayson of Branch 54 in February against Huelar, Budy Magbanua, Bliss Operiano and Bonbon Huesna, all of Barangay 35, for robbery.
The village chief paid P100,000 bail for the robbery charge.
Sayson also issued another arrest warrant against Huelar and Magbanua in violation of Republic Act 6539 or the Anti-Carnapping Act of 1972.
For this, Huelar posted a bail of P180,000.
The cases were filed against Huelar by Susan, Mike, Jea Ann, and Rolando Permano, as well as John Francis Lingco of Barangay Mansilingan in May 2015.
Huelar was also issued an arrest warrant by Judge Napoleon Diamante of the Municipal Trial Court in Cities Branch 3 on February 22 for the criminal cases filed against him by the same complainants for two counts of grave coercion and two counts of arbitrary detention.
The complainants had also filed with the Office of the Ombudsman a complaint against Huelar and the others, alleging that the respondents entered the residence of Mike Permano without permission on May 17, 2015, taking several items with them, including a motorcycle.
Huelar said he returned the items, which they “recovered” from the residence of the Permanos, the following day after a thorough investigation conducted by the police.
The village chief said he initially thought the items were the ones taken from Barangay 35 village councilman Reuben James Miranda, which barangay officials were searching for.
He said he did not violate anything because he coordinated with the police when they went to the residence of the Permanos, Huelar said, adding that he did not also steal, or detain anyone.
Huelar also said the complainants have no basis for their allegations and that he believes the cases against him would not prosper.