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By NORA SORIÑO
GSD-Iligan Bureau

ILIGAN City–A regional judge has ordered detained Mayor Celso Regencia transferred from the city jail in Tipanoy here to the provincial jail of Misamis Oriental in Cagayan de Oro, one of the local chief executive’s lawyers confirmed yesterday.

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Lawyer Leo Zaragoza said Regencia received a copy of the order this week. He said Judge Marissa Estabaya of a court in Initao, Misamis Oriental, gave 10 days for Regencia to be transferred.

The mayor’s lawyers are questioning the validity of the order but added that it was now up to Iliganons to unite and help prevent the mayor from being moved to Cagayan de Oro.

Regencia was detained in connection with the ambush of the convoy of Rep. Vicente Belmonte Jr. on Dec. 11, 2014 near the Laguindingan Airport.

Judge Estabaya, who handles the case, has been issuing orders to have the mayor moved out from the Iligan to the Cagayan de Oro jail.

Jose Pantoja, president of the Bantay Hustisya Inc., said Regencia has been subjected to a form of “injustice.”

Pantoja said Misamis Oriental Gov. Yevgeny Vincente Emano has written to the judge in order to explain that the capitolun prison facility in Cagayan de Oro cannot handle an inmate like Regencia. He said Emano’s plea was denied.

Belmonte, for his part, said that Regencia’s group was exploiting the issue. “This is all drama,” he said.

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