Supporters of detained Iligan City Mayor Celso Regencia take the next step in rallies insisting that the mayor is innocent of charges of conspiring to murder former legislator Vicente Belmonte in 2014. —JIGGER J. JERUSALEM
ILIGAN CITY—At least 3,000 supporters of Mayor Celso Regencia took to the streets on Saturday to demand the release of the mayor, who had been detained on charges of masterminding the assassination attempt on former Rep. Vicente Belmonte two years ago.
Regencia’s supporters occupied the city’s downtown area to hold a prayer rally and lie on the street to press Regencia’s release from jail.
Detained for more than a year now, Regencia had been charged with leading the plot to kill Belmonte which was executed as Belmonte was getting out of the Laguindingan Airport in the town of Laguindingan, Misamis Oriental province in 2014.
Belmonte survived the attack, which killed three of his aides, by a group of gunmen who tailed the former legislator’s convoy as it prepared to leave the airport.
Regencia’s case is being tried at the sala of Judge Ferdinand Baylon, of the Regional Trial Court Branch 77 in Quezon City, after it was transferred there from a court in the town of Initao, Misamis Oriental.
Authorities tried to transfer Regencia from this city’s jail to a detention facility in Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan in Metro Manila to facilitate his appearance in the Quezon City court. But this was blocked by the mayor’s supporters who trooped to the city jail and formed a blockade that prevented jail guards and policemen from transferring the mayor.
His followers insist that Regencia is not involved in the assassination attempt on Belmonte.
As Regencia languishes in jail, Vice Mayor Jemar Vera Cruz said the people of Iligan are the ones suffering because their mayor could not discharge his duties.
Vera Cruz, a priest and supporter of Regencia, said he had met with Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II and even President Duterte to plead for the mayor.
He said Aguirre and Mr. Duterte had promised to act on the mayor’s case but expressed dismay that there is no action until now.
“We want to call the attention of the national government,” said Vera Cruz, who took a leave from his priestly duties to enter politics.
Vera Cruz said he believes Regencia is innocent and should be released to perform his function as mayor.
Regencia is on his second term as mayor. —JIGGER J. JERUSALEM