Detention of 11 Tiwi execs hit

LEGAZPI CITY — Protesting the arrest of their mayor, vice mayor and nine councilors, residents of Tiwi, Albay picketed the regional police headquarters at Camp General Simeon Ola here Thursday morning.

Some 3,000 placard-bearing Tiwi folk denounced the continued detention of Mayor Patria Gutierrez, Vice Mayor Ruth Corral and councilors David Beato, Jesus Consulta, Rey Custodio, Arlene Recierdo, Saturnino Clavecilla, Liberato Ulysses Pacis, Lorenzo Claret, Orlando Lew Velasco and outgoing Sangguniang Kabataan federation president Bernardo Costo.

Police arrested them last Monday morning on the strength of a warrant issued by Quezon City Judge Lucas Bersamin for indirect contempt for allegedly failing to pay P21 million for the services of lawyer Antonio Betito.

The Tiwi officials were fined P15,000 each and are to suffer imprisonment until they are able to approve an appropriation ordinance to comply with the writ of execution in the civil case Betito had filed.

Betito won for the municipal government the case against the National Power Corp. for the payment of P228 million in royalty taxes.

Former Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman has filed a motion to quash the arrest warrant with Bersamin’s sala. — Celso Amo