SOME 3,000 supporters of embattled Mayor Celso Regencia staged a die-in and prayer rally at Iligan City’s downtown area Saturday morning as they demanded anew for the Duterte administration to hasten the process for the chief executive’s release.
Incarcerated more than a year ago at the city jail in Barangay Tipanoy, Regencia was tagged as the alleged mastermind on the ambuscade of former Iligan City Representative Vicente Belmonte as he was about to exit the Laguindingan Airport compound in Laguindingan, Misamis Oriental, in December 2014.
Belmonte survived but three of his aides were killed.
Regencia’s case is presently lodged at the Regional Trial Court-Branch 77 in Quezon City in the sala of Judge Ferdinand Baylon, after it was transferred from a local court in Initao, Misamis Oriental.
There were attempts by authorities to bring Regencia to a detention facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Bicutan, Quezon City, for him to appear before the court but these were stopped by his supporters who trooped to the city jail in Tipanoy to block the jail guards and policemen from transporting him.
His followers believe Regencia is innocent of the multiple murder charges filed against him.
At the rally, dozens of them staged a die-in while the other supporters raised their hands and placards.
As Regencia languishes in jail awaiting trial, Vice Mayor Jemar Vera Cruz said it is the people of Iligan who are suffering as the mayor could not properly function due to his condition.
Vera Cruz, a Roman Catholic priest by profession who took a leave from his religious duties to enter politics, said he had sat down with Department of Justice secretary Vitaliano Aguirre and even President Rodrigo Duterte to plead Regencia’s case.
Vera Cruz said both government officials had given assurances that they will act on the mayor’s case, but expressed his dismay that until now no action has yet been taken.
“We want to call the attention of the national government, that they should take action for motion for reconsideration for reinvestigation on the case of Mayor Regencia. We believe that he is innocent of the crime,” Vera Cruz told reporters Saturday.
Vera Cruz said Regencia, being the elected mayor of the city, should be freed so he can better serve the people of Iligan.
Regencia is on his second term as mayor.
