Three people, including a town councilor, surrendered to the authorities Monday, August 23, after warrants for their arrest came out early this year.
Councilor Jose Morito Flores, Quintin Remo barangay captain Felisa Villaflor and her husband, Jonathan, who were tagged in the murder of Moises Padilla Councilor Jolomar Hilario in March 2019 surrendered at the town police station, where they are now detained.
Also linked to the murder of the town official were Vice Mayor Adrian Villaflor, councilors Vincent Garcia and Jimmie Don Plaza.
All vehemently denied their alleged participation in the crime.
Mayor Ella Garcia-Yulo said the councilor and the village official, who were on leave for months, came out “to end everything.”
The vice mayor and the other councilors were still on leave.
They were the subject of the warrants of arrest issued by La Carlota City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Judge Cyclamen Jison Fernandez in February this year.
Yulo said that the officials have nothing to do with the killing and were only implicated by her political opponent.
This is political harassment, stressed the mayor, who didn’t mince words.
She also said that she was part of the case, but there was no arrest warrant issued against her because she was in jail when the alleged meeting of the respondents to plot the killing took place.
The case was transferred to the Guihulngan City RTC and they have filed an appeal that it be moved to Negros Occidental for security reasons, the mayor said, adding that the judge has yet to issue a resolution on their request.
She said that they are now waiting for the commitment order from the judge stating where the three will be detained.*