Hinigaran Mayor Nadie Arceo slammed what he called a politically motivated attempt by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Bacolod City to implicate him in a murder case he has had no involvement in.
Arceo, at a press conference on Sunday, March 20, alleged that PBrig. Gen. Randy Peralta who was a ranking CIDG official wielded influence over the local CIDG.
Peralta is the husband of Mitchelle Cordova Peralta who is running for mayor of Hinigaran against him in the May 9 elections, he said.
The CIDG Bacolod Field Unit filed a complaint before the Negros Occidental Provincial Prosecutor’s Office on February 17 against his bodyguard Leroy Espinosa and his brother Leonardo Espinosa for the crime of murder and frustrated murder, Arceo said.
This was in connection with the death of Mark Christian Salazar and the wounding of Liza Salazar-Celiz in Pantalan Daan, Barangay 1, Hinigaran, of Dec. 18, 2021.
The CIDG attached a supplementary affidavit of Olivia Salazar dated January 4 implicating the Espinosas and linking Arceo to the crime.
“Leroy Espinosa is the bodyguard of Mayor Nadie Arceo and there are reports that my family will be wiped out so that his illegal activities will not be revealed,” she said in an affidavit.
Arceo said the police had earlier filed cases for homicide and attempted homicide against Leroy Espinosa that are now pending before the Himamaylan City Regional Trial Court.
In those cases he was not linked to the killing in fact he has an affidavit signed by Olivia Salazar that he was not involved in the crime, Arceo said.
Arceo’s lawyer Victorino Torrecampo Jr. questioned why subpoenas were not sent to the Espinosas along with copies of the CIDG’s complaints furnished them so that they would have an opportunity to submit their counter affidavits.
They suspect that someone at the prosecutor’s office removed the subpoenas from the copies of the complaints served the Espinosas on purpose and they want the matter investigated, Torrecampo said.
Lawyers Rey Gorgonio and Guillermo Tejida III said the filing of a second complaint for the same crime by the CIDG constitutes double jeopardy.
Arceo said Leroy Espinosa acted in self defense when Mark Christina Salazar was killed, and that their fight was triggered by a family feud.
He said the attempt to implicate him is a political ploy to disrupt his bid for reelection as mayor.*