Jail can’t keep mayor from getting fresh mandate

ILIGAN CITY – Jail couldn’t keep the mayor of this city from getting a fresh mandate from Iliganons as he smothered his opponent, anchored on the efforts of a priest, who went on leave, and ran as his vice mayor in the May 9 polls.

Mayor Celso Regencia, who is in jail for his alleged involvement in the failed ambush on Iligan Rep. Vicente Belmonte in 2014, won another term with 68,995 votes, way ahead of his closest challenger, Vice Mayor Rudy Marzo of the Liberal Party, who could only get 37,029 votes.

And his loyal follower was Monsignor Jemar Vera Cruz, who took a leave as vicar general of the Diocese of Iligan, to run as his vice mayor.

Vera Cruz won over LP’s Providencio Abragan. Vera Cruz said he was happy with the result of the local election, because this would mean that the “dream of the people [of Iligan] for change will now start.” He said the voters’ support for Regencia, who ran under the banner of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), translated into a huge victory for his ticket which won 10 of 12 seats in the city council. “He [Regencia] got the sympathy votes, as the Iliganons feel that he is oppressed and victimized by those in power,” Regencia’s lawyer Demostenes Plando said. He also said Regencia would be able to serve his constituents well even if he stays in jail, as he had done so in the months since he surrendered to authorities for his alleged involvement in the Belmonte ambush.

According to Plando, documents that need the mayor’s signature are brought to Iligan City in Barangay Tipanoy, to Iligan City Hall in Barangay Pala-o, about seven kilometers away, or a ride of 20 minutes.

“Besides, key officials such as the city legal officer and the city administrator can function even if the mayor is physically absent, Plndo added

Belmonte’s daughter, Queenie, won a seat in the city’s legislature.