Supporters of suspended Iligan City mayor hold prayer rally

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?&sid=6&pfn=793722&arch=1&go=Go&search_arch=Iligan%20City&andor=and&mdte_arch=8&ddte_arch=0&ydte_arch=2015

By Hirohito D. Cadion

ILIGAN CITY, Aug. 15 (PNA) – Over 5,000 people have turned on the streets and joined the prayer rally Saturday in support to suspended Mayor Celso Regencia.

The rally participants consisted of three groups--religious, civil society organizations and non-government organizations--marched from different starting points at 7:30 a.m. and converged at the City Plaza. The prayer rally ended at 11:30 a.m.

Msgr. Jemar Vera Cruz, vicar-general of the local diocese, said they believed there was no truth to the accusations hurled against Regencia.

Vera Cruz, one of the prayer-rally organizers, accused Rep. Vicente Belmonte Jr. of this city, for fabricating the “ambush me” incident and tagged Regencia as the mastermind.

Belmonte was wounded while four of his security escorts and staffs were killed in an ambush on Dec. 11, 2014 near the airport in Laguindingan, Misamis Oriental.

Vera Cruz and Fr. Naser Zaragoza of the Saint Vincent Parish, said they believed the accusation was purely politically motivated as both Regencia and Belmonte were expected to run for mayor in next year’s election.

Aside from that, Vera Cruz said Regencia had discovered anomalies involving Php104 million expenditures for 3,007 alleged ghost employees by the previous city government administration who was an ally of Belmonte.

He said that Regencia has elevated the case involving the anomaly to the office of the Ombudsman for Mindanao.

He is strongly requesting President Benigno Simeon Aquino III to look into the case to give justice to the people of this city.

He expressed his gratitude to the people who joined the prayer rally in support to Regencia. Some of the commercial establishments also joined the prayer rally by closing their businesses during the event.

Meanwhile, Atty. Rejoice Subejano, one of Belmonte’s lawyers, has challenged Regencia to surrender “in order for the law to take its course.”

Earlier this week, the police went to the residence of Regencia to serve the warrant of arrest issued by the court but the suspended mayor was not around.

Aside from Regencia, 10 other people were implicated in the ambush of Belmonte and his convoy in December 2011. (PNA)

RMA/TPGJR/HIROHITO D. CADION