Ambush case vs Regencia likely to be reopened

By Nora Soriño,
Iligan City Bureau Chief

Iligan City — There is a “good chance” that the case against city mayor Celso Regencia regarding the ambush that occurred in 2014 will be reopened.

Lawyer Moises Dalisay, Jr., a former city councilor here, reiterated yesterday that a petition for certiorari on the cases of murder and multiple murder cases have been filed before the Supreme Court against the city mayor. Among other things, Dalisay said, the Secretary of Justice is now Menardo Guevarra, hinting that the former DOJ secretary did not examine the cases meticulously.

A petition for certiorari, to note, is a document filed with the SC to reverse the decision of a lower court. It is also the name given to certain appellate proceedings for re-examination of actions of a trial court, or inferior appeals court.

He is not the one handling the case, Dalisay added, but he has knowledge of it.

“We will wait for the SC decision on the petition on the certiorari,” he said.

To recall, Regencia and 14 others  were accused of murder and frustrated multiple murder cases in connection with the ambush of then Rep. Vicente Belmonte, Jr. near the Laguindingan Airport Dec. 11, 2014. The mayor was then incarcerated Oct. 12, 2015 but was released Jan. 30, 2017 after a regional trial court  granted the motion of the Department of Justice to withdraw the case.

Regarding another case also against the mayor, for abuse of authority and which the mayor filed a petition to have the decision against him nullified, hearing on it will be on Nov. 5, 6, and 7, Dalisay said. To recall, the case involve Regencia’s functioning as mayor even when he was in detention. Dalisay  did not give further details on the matter.