By NORA SORINO,
Iligan Bureau Chief
Iligan City — The hearing of the murder and frustrated murder cases against this city’s mayor has been set on Feb. 4, next year.
The criminal cases city mayor Celso G. Regencia is in connection with the botched ambush attempt on Rep. Vicente Belmonte, Jr. last Dec. 11, 2014.
This was the statement of Atty. Leo Zaragoza yesterday after they attended the hearing on said case at Branch 44 of the Regional Trial Court–presided by Judge Marisa Estabaya–in Initao, Misamis Oriental on Thursday.
Zaragoza said that before the hearing he had talked with a person from the Department of Justice. He quoted that DOJ man as saying: “Pasensiya na pare, napulitika lang ang meyor.”
But the Zaragoza, who is one of the lawyers of the detained mayor said he was surprised when the DOJ petitioned that the hearings be transfered to Manila and that the mayor, who is currently detained at the city jail at Tipanoy, this city, be also detained in Manila.
He added this would make the mayor’s assumption as such by virtue of a Temporary Restraining Order moot and academic.
The lawyer added that they, the lawyers, nor Regencia were not even given copies of the DOJ petition.
This is the first time that the party other than the accused has petitioned for transfer of venue as it is the accused who would usually petition for such.
Zaragoza said they are contemplating to ask his client’s supporter to launch a petition for appeal of the transfer.
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