ILIGAN City ― The Sandiganbayan, in promulgation on February 11, has found City Mayor Celso G. Regencia guilty of “usurpation of authority.”
Lawyer Moises Dalisay, Jr., in a statement early this morning, said that he learned about this from Prosecutor Tadeo of the said judicial body. The said promulgation, he said, was virtual so he has yet to see the hard copy on the matter.
To recall, said promulgation was first scheduled by the Sandiganbayan, 7th division, last January 14 even after Regencia appealed that it be made June of this year which it has denied. Because of Omicron's concerns though it had reset it to yesterday, February 11.
The case it was learned came during the time when former Vice Mayor Ruderic Marzo was then functioning as mayor for Regencia was detained at Tipanoy jail facility here in connection with the ambush of then-Congressman Vicente Belmonte, Jr, December 11, 2014, near the Laguindingan airport at Laguindingan, Misamis Oriental.
But while Marzo was functioning as such, CGR was functioning too as mayor inside the facility, issuing executive orders, officiating mass weddings, and all the other functions of a mayor. So the complainant is “People of the Philippines,” Dalisay said which is a criminal one, adding though that the offense is a bailable one.
The mayor, though, the lawyer said can appeal his case to the Supreme Court.
Margie Madlangbayan an avid supporter of Regencia then told residents in a statement heard over the air lanes that even if Regencia is already convicted, he is filing for a Motion for Reconsideration.
