Alagar readies for Regencia; 2 teams to secure Misor jail

By NITZ ARANCON, Correspondent
with NORA SORINO, SITA ASEQUIA
and NENE LACHICA of GSD-Iligan Bureau

ILIGAN City–As the standoff resulting from a court order to bring detained Mayor Celso Regencia outside the city persisted, Camp Alagar started mapping out plans to secure the Misamis Oriental prison facility in Cagayan de Oro in anticipation of the local chief executive’s transfer.

Chief Supt. Lyndel Desquitado, police director for Region 10, said two teams from Camp Alagar’s Public Safety Company would be fielded to help the capitol and prison officials in securing the Misamis Oriental governmentun provincial jail in downtown Cagayan de Oro.

Regencia’s lawyers have appealed the order, asking a regional court in Initao, Misamis Oriental to reconsider its directive to transfer Regencia from the city jail in Tipanoy, Iligan to the Misamis Oriental jail in Cagayan de Oro. They argued that there was no need for such an order because there was no motion to move the detained mayor to Cagayan de Oro.

There was, they said, a motion by the justice department to transfer Regencia to a Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) facility in Initao but prison officials there said they could not accommodate the Iligan mayor.

Supporters of Regencia continued to flock outside the city jail over the weekend,  organizing motorcycle riders who went around the city proper in red clothing to dramatize their support for the mayor who was detained for allegedly masterminding the December 2014 ambush of Rep. Vicente Belmonte Jr. near the Laguindingan airport. Bands also came and played outside the Tipanoy facility. Regencia has strongly denied any hand in the attempt on Belmonte’s life.

Desquitado said Camp Alagar has sent one of its key officials to Iligan in order to closely coordinate with the BJMP, and to get details about the planned transfer.

Camp Alagar spokesman Supt. Surki Sareñas said the BJMP, and not the National Police, would have to take the lead in the event that Regencia is moved from Iligan to Cagayan de Oro.

Sareñas said the police would be visible during the transfer, and would provide full security.

“The BJMP assumes the primary role; the PNP will provide security, and will act should the situation call for it. The local police will manage the peace and order in the area, and provide maximum visibility to preempt any untoward incident,” said Sareñas.