BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Vice Mayor Ian Villaflor and Councilor Jimmiedon Plaza of Moises Padilla town, who are both facing murder charges, surrendered to the National Bureau of Investigation yesterday, as facilitated by Negros Occidental Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer.
With the surrender of Villafor and Plaza there are now four town officials linked to the murder of town Councilor Jolomar Hilario, who have given themselves up to authorities since last week which included Councilors Vincent Garcia and Jose Morito Flores.
Other respondents who surrendered to the Moises Padilla Police Station, through the efforts of Moises Padilla Mayor Ella Celestina Garcia-Yulo, were Quintin Remo barangay chairperson Felisa Villaflor and her husband, Jonathan Villaflor.
IN POLICE CUSTODY
They are all in the custody of the Moises Padilla town police.
Ferrer said he welcomed the decision of Vice Mayor Villaflor, who informed him of his plans to surrender, six months after the issuance of an arrest warrant against them by the court, to quit hiding from authorities.
‘”Let the court decide on their case,” Ferrer said, but the respondents said they are innocent of the charges against them.
Hilario, 51, who was running for re-election in 2019, was murdered in his home in Moises Padilla.
The NPA Leonardo Panaligan Command had claimed responsibility for the killing, and accused Hilario of being a military asset.
NBI-Bacolod chief Renoir Baldovino, who took custody of Vice Mayor Villaflor and Councilor Plaza, yesterday said that the counsels of the two respondents are now working on for their petition to bail, as murder charges is a non-bailable offense. Ferrer advised the other respondents, who are also denied bail, to surrender, adding that he got information that the witness executed a new affidavit.*