Court bars Zamboanga del Norte gov from leaving

MANILA, Philippines—The Sandiganbayan has barred outgoing Zamboanga del Norte governor Rolando Yebes from leaving the country to face a graft charge for alleged abuse of power in blocking the succession of a qualified applicant to a vacant seat in the municipal council of Tampilisan.

In an order, the antigraft court’s Fourth Division ordered Yebes’ name placed on the hold-departure list.

Yebes, in his third and last term as governor, ran under the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) for a congressional seat in the province’s second district against second-term Rep. Rosendo S. Labadlabad of the Liberal Party.

Latest partial and unofficial tallies showed Yebes was trailing Labadlabad in votes received, 24,515 against 15,533, with only 39.4 percent of the province’s total election returns canvassed.

The case against Yebes was filed by Leo Angelo L. Cabarrubias who applied at the Governor’s Office for appointment to fill the vacant position in the Tampilisan municipal council caused by the death of the applicant’s father.