Negros town vice mayor, husband face arrest

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — A local court has issued warrants of arrest against the vice mayor of Moises Padilla town in Negros and her husband for illegal possession of firearms and explosives.

La Carlota Regional Trial Court Judge Cyclamen Jison-Fernandez signed the warrants for the arrest of Vice Mayor Ella Celestina Garcia-Yulo and her husband Felix Mathias Segundo on Aug. 20.

Senior Inspector Edfel Balibadlan, Moises Padilla police chief, said the couple were not around when police served the warrants last Friday.

The couple were arrested at a checkpoint in Barangay Crossing Magallon last December after two .45-caliber pistols and two grenades were recovered from their Mitsubishi Strada.

They were released last Jan. 5 after the court said the charges against them “had no leg to stand on.”

Senior Inspector Allan Reloj, who led the arrest of the couple, was relieved from his post.

Karol Joseph Chiu, counsel for the couple, maintained that his clients were innnocent of the allegations against them.

Chiu said they have a pending petition for review of the charges before the Department of Justice.

He said they would also file a motion for bail.