ILIGAN CITY -- Hundreds of supporters of imprisoned Iligan City mayor Celso Regencia gathered outside the city jail in Barangay Tipanoy here to oppose an order issued by a Regional Trial Court (RTC) judge, directing that Regencia be brought to a local court in Initao, Misamis Oriental Monday morning.
Regencia’s case is being heard by Judge Marisa Estabaya of RTC in Initao.
Regencia is accused as being the mastermind in the ambush of Iligan City Representative Vicente Belmonte at the Laguindingan airport facilities in Laguindingan, Misamis Oriental on December 11, 2014.
Belmonte survived the ambush but three of his aides were killed.
To prevent jail authorities from bringing Regencia to Initao, residents, most of them wearing red t-shirts bearing the mayor’s or his political allies’ names, blocked the entrance of the city jail compound with a mini-dump truck. A bus was also barricaded on the road going to the prison.
A resident, who requested not to be identified, said the Iliganons feel that Regencia is innocent of the crime that he is accused of.
Regencia’s running mate, Monsignor Jemar Vera Cruz, said the people fear the mayor’s life could be in danger if he is to be brought to Initao, about 43.5 kilometers away from Iligan, to attend the hearing for his bail and for arraignment.
Vera Cruz, who is taking a leave of absence as priest to run as vice mayor, said they are appealing to the court and national government to stop the “oppression.”
“What we are asking from the authorities is a fair trial for [Regencia] and the mayor will face it. We will gladly see [him] face the trial. We believe he is innocent,” he said.
In fact, he added, Regencia’s camp wanted a speedy trial for him.
Lawyer Demosthenes Plando, one of Regencia’s legal counsels, said it is not necessary to bring the mayor to Initao since the hearing for the petition for bail does not necessarily demand his presence.
Plando said the court must first resolve the petition for bail before a hearing for Regencia’s arraignment could be scheduled.
He added it would be best for the court to hear Regencia’s case after the May 9 elections so it can be determined who the people of Iligan really wants to sit as mayor.
Also, Plando said they have filed an administrative complaint against the judge, which he said is pending at the Supreme Court, on the grounds that all the three motions they submitted before the court but were denied.
He said they filed before the judge the motion of judicial determination of probable cause, motion to dismiss on the ground of lack of jurisdiction, and motion for voluntary inhibition.
But, Plando said, when the complainant filed the motion to move Regencia from the detention facility in Iligan to Cagayan de Oro, it was granted by the court, although the Misamis Oriental Provincial Jail management refused to accommodate the transfer.
As of Monday afternoon, Plando said they advised the crowd to disperse but he added they might be back when Regencia is scheduled to appear before the court on April 25.