One supporter died of heart attack as police try to bring Regencia to court

BY FROILAN GALLARDO,
Special Correspondent

ILIGAN City — The Philippine National Police ordered its antiiot police unit back to the barracks after a follower of Iligan City Mayor Celso Regencia suffered a cardiac arrest at the barricades set up by other supporters on Monday.

51 year-old Jerry Abarca died at the Gregorio Lluch Memorial Hospital where he was brought after he collapsed in a cardiac arrest at the barricades set up by fellow supporters in front of the Iligan City jail in Barangay Tipanoy Monday dawn.

PNP ground commander Chief Superintendent Aaron Aquino,  said he decided to order the antiiot policemen to return to the barracks instead of  ordering the dispersal of an estimated  2,000 followers of  Mayor Regencia who have park trucks and other vehicles in front of the city jail in Barangay Tipanoy here.

“We do not want anybody to get hurt. We do not want a part 2 of the Kidapawan incident,” Aquino told reporters.

“One supporter have already died of cardiac arrest and we have not started the dispersal yet,” he said.

Aquino said they were supposed to bring Regencia to the Regional Trial Court in Initao town, Misamis Oriental for arraignment.

“We have to find another peaceful option other than dispersing this people. The court should understand the implications of its order to bring Regencia to Initao,” he said.

This morning’s plan to bring Regencia to Initao, Misamis Oriental is the fourth attempt after his supporters continued to barricade the road leading to the city jail where he is presently detained.

Monsignor Jemar Vera Cruz, Regencia’sa ally and spokesperson, said they will vehemently opposed any attempt to bring the mayor out from the city jail.

Vera Cruz, who took a sabbatical leave from his priestly duties to run as vice mayor of Regencia, said their opponents will take advantage of the absence of the mayor to take over the duties of the chief executive of Iligan.

“Once they take over, our opponents will have the financial resources of the Iligan City coffers,” he said.

Vera Cruz confirmed that  Abarca was a loyal follower who died while manning the barricades in front of the city jail Monday dawn.

Regencia, a member of the Nationalist People’s Coalition, is running for reelection against Iligan Vice Mayor Ruderic Marzo, a Liberal Party member.

The court in Initao, Misamis Oriental have issued a warrant of arrest against Regencia and ten other suspects for the Dec. 11, 2014 botched ambush of the convoy of Iligan Representative Vicente Belmonte.

Belmonte survived the ambush but three of security aides died while three others were wounded.