Mayor decries murder raps as political harassment

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – Mayor Ella Garcia-Yulo of Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental described as political harassment the reported murder charges filed against her by the relatives of several persons killed in the town from 2016 to 2018.

Yulo told Daily Guardian over the weekend that she will not comment until she has received copies of the complaints.

The complainants are identified with her political opponent whom she defeated in the 2019 elections.

Reports revealed that the separate murder complaints were filed before Negros Occidental Provincial Prosecutor Ma. Christy Uriarte on March 13 and 16, 2020.

The complainants were Agustin Grande III, Ruby Caminade, Marilyn Bañares-Amable, and Leny Ruales.

They tagged Yulo, her family, several town officials including Vice Mayor Adrian Villaflor, and other individuals in the killing of their kin.

They claimed that “relevant witnesses have allegedly come and have personal knowledge” of the incidents.

Yulo recalled that Grande, who lost in his re-election bid as councilor in the 2019 polls, previously filed murder raps against her for the death of his brother.

Grande ran under the line up of Yulo’s opponent.

Yulo said the case was dismissed.

The deaths of the said victims were admitted by the New People’s Army in the area as their doing, she added.