‘Pain-coated’ victory
PERHAPS, one of the “oddest” political stories in Negros Occidental in the recently-concluded May 9 elections was that of Moises Padilla town’s reelected Vice Mayor Ian Villaflor. Ian won by a landslide while being detained (for nine months now) at the custodial facility of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Bacolod City.
He’s facing a murder case. The court did not allow him to go out and campaign.
But Ian still got a total of 9,453 votes against Marvin Tan’s 3,840; Jan Snook’s 3,313; and Gigi Gayona’s 2,138.
I don’t know Ian. The first time I saw him was during the signing of a peace covenant in Moises Padilla for poll candidates sometime in February this year. That time, he was handcuffed and escorted by NBI operatives.
Really, I was confused at that time. Then, I told myself, “This is quite unique.” Why? Aside f rom Ian, three other candidates under “Hugpong Birada Moises Padilla” local political ticket were also handcuffed. They were Jimmiedon Plaza, Morito Flores and Vincent Garcia – all seeking reelection for councilor.
Along with Ian, the three were tagged as suspects in the death of Councilor Jolomar Hilario in 2019. They all denied the allegation.
It was in March of 2019 or barely two months before the local election. An ambush took place in this little town of Moises Padilla. Hilario died on the spot.
Though the New People’s Army took responsibility for it, several incumbent town officials in Moises Padilla and Isabela were implicated.
On April 25, 2019, another ambush happened. This time, according to the then vice mayor and now sitting Mayor Ella Garcia-Yulo, she and her husband were the targets.
They survived but her brother Mark and nephew Michael died.
These incidents scared the people of Moises Padilla. They were afraid to go out of their homes at night. No less than President Rodrigo Duterte warned local, police and Army officials against another atrocity.
The entire town was placed under Comelec control.
The Ella-Ian tandem (for mayor and vice mayor) prevailed.
AGONY AIN’T OVER
But Ella’s, Ian’s, and et al.’s agony ain’t over yet. Witnesses surfaced and tagged them as suspects in Hilario’s death.
They were charged with murder at the nearby La Carlota City’s Regional Trial Court ( RTC) four times. Later, cases were dismissed after the witnesses recanted their testimonies.
But just last year, another witness surfaced. Again, Ella, Ian, Jimmiedon, Morito, and Vincent, among others, were tagged anew as suspects. So, again, they were charged with murder before the Guinhulngan RTC in Negros Oriental – the fifth case against them. They denied the allegation.
The court exonerated Ella. She was in detention for an alleged illegal possession of firearms case when Hilario was ambushed.
Arrest warrants were issued against Ian, Jimmiedon, Morito, Vincent and others in September last year just a month prior to the filing of Certificates of Candidacy (CoC) for the May 9, 2022 elections.
Ian and Jimmiedon voluntarily surrendered to Vice Gov. Jeffrey Ferrer.
The vice governor turned them over to the NBI for safekeeping while they’re seeking the court’s approval for them to post bail.
Morito and Vincent, on the other hand, were also detained at the town’s police jail.
Of the four, only Ian and Vincent won their re-election. Jimmiedon and Morito lost.
‘PAIN’ Upon knowing Ian’s election n triumph, I went to the NBIBacolod to talk to him. I knew it wasn’t easy for him to compose himself amid a “pain-coated” victory.
Nonetheless, I salute Ian for having the courage to narrate his story with toughness in holding back his tears.
I can feel Ian’s emotional pain. Too, I am a father.
And sans quantification, I can feel the enormous pain (deep inside) he’s suffering for being away from his family, especially from his three kids.
Moreover, just a month in prison, his brother died. His parents are sickly, too. Being the family’s breadwinner, nine months in prison is “too much”. Much more if you know that you’re innocent of the charges.
Ian said politics is the “culprit” behind his current misery. He’s not succumbing though. Rather, he’ll fight ‘till the end to clear his
name and reputation.
“Yes, sakit kaayo. Bisan mga bata ko grabe ang hakos sa akon kag indi sila gusto mapriso ko,” he confessed.
Leaving your kids amidst uncertainties is quite “heartwrenching”. Thus, I empathize with Ian.
But Ian is really beyond courageous now. With his recent victory, he’s more than inspired to go on fighting his case while serving the people of Moises Padilla at the same time.
Yes, he admitted t hat there were moments he was discouraged by his ailing parents, wife and kids. Such words of discouragement, he confided, were “so heavy” for him to bear.
But turning himself into a “prayer warrior” while at the NBI-Bacolod helped him a lot. “If I succumb, then, what’ll happen to me?”
‘TORTUOUS ‘
At 39, Ian’s political life is quite tortuous. In 2016, he courageously ran for mayor.
He was ambushed by unknown suspects.
He survived, yet lost in the
election.
In 2019, he ran for vice mayor, was ambushed again, but survived and won.
This 2022, he ran anew (for a second term) but was charged with murder.
His very consolation – he won even while in prison.
Ian’s biggest battle right now is somehow the “mental anguish” on the part of his kids. As a husband and father, he wants to see to it that the physical and mental state of his wife and kids are (always) okay.
What Ian is doing right now can be likened to what the Bible says (in Proverbs 20:17): “The righteous who walks in his integrity – blessed are his children after him.”
Above all, Ian’s desire to serve again the people of Moises Padilla is now anchored on a simple quest: leave a legacy! And this legacy, he stressed, is to (always) stand and fight for truth.
So, let’s hope for the truth to come out soonest.
One thing I admire most about Ian is his inner strength. Invisible, yet feelable!/