By FROILAN GALLARDO
Contributor
SUSPENDED Iligan Mayor Celso Regencia, wanted in connection with the ambush of Rep. Vicente Belmonte, surfaced and surrendered to authorities yesterday morning.
National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) chief for Iligan Alex Caburnay said Regencia surrendered to the Iligan City Jail, ending almost two-months of hiding after a court issued warrants of arrest against him and 10 others.
“I commend the decision of the mayor to trust our judicial system by submitting himself to the jurisdiction of the court,” Caburnay said.
The Regional Trial Court Branch 44 in Initao, Misamis Oriental issued the warrants for three counts of murder and six counts of frustrated murder against Regencia, his bodyguard, PO3 Alfeo Arnoco, Amado Baller, Rogelio Pitos Sr., Romeo Suganob, Peehay Capanpagan, Julito Oros Ansad, Dodo Silvano and Rogelio Pitos Jr.
Arnoco went AWOL and also went into hiding along with the rest of the suspects.
Several gunmen ambushed the convoy of Rep. Belmonte after he left the Laguindingan Airport in Misamis Oriental on Dec. 11, 2014.
Three of Belmonte’s bodyguards were killed in the ambush while the congressman and five others were wounded.
Pursuit operations later resulted in the arrest of one of the gunmen identified as Dominador Tumala of Osmena town, Zamboanga del Norte. He provided the court with the details of the ambush plans and Regencia’s alleged participation.
Before he went into hiding, Malacanang suspended Regencia for 60 days for abuse of authority after allegedly stripping Vice Mayor Ruderic Marzo of his authority to appoint casual employees at the Sanggunian Panlungsod.
The Court of Appeals in Cagayan de Oro issued a TRO in favor of Regencia after he posted a bond of P100,000.
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