Mayor welcomes dismissal of murder raps

By: Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – From the start, Mayor Ella Garcia-Yulo of Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental believed that the murder charges filed against her are trumped up charges and a form of political harassment.

She is thankful the charges were dismissed for lack of evidence.

The murder charges filed against Garcia-Yulo, Vice Mayor Ian Villaflor, and Moreto Flores in connection with the ambush of Magdaleno “Nonong” Grande was dismissed by the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor.

Based on a resolution issued on May 24, 2019 and signed by Associate Prosecutor Ken Furuyama and Provincial Prosecutor Rodrigo Diaz, the murder charges were dropped because the complainant failed to sufficiently establish the concurring elements in order to hold Garcia-Yulo, Villaflor and Flores liable for Grande’s killing.

In the complaint affidavit filed by former New People’s Army (NPA) rebel Jully Opiar, Garcia-Yulo allegedly ordered the killing of Grande in January 2016.

The reason for the hit was that Grande allegedly informed former Moises Padilla Mayor Magdaleno Peña about her security aides being involved with illegal drugs, which eventually resulted in their termination from service.

Opiar’s claims were also backed up by Garcia-Yulo’s former bodyguard, Robert Sualog, claiming he heard the then-vice mayor giving the order to kill Grande.

But Garcia-Yulo denied the duo’s allegations, pointing out the “absolute biases” of the Moises Padilla town police in coming up with an investigation report based on a “concocted scenario.”

She also denied the allegations that she and Villaflor were members of the NPA, adding the complaint is nothing more but a scheme designed by her political opponents to harass her.

The NPA owned up to Grande’s death saying he committed crimes against the people of Moises Padilla. (Photo Source: Rappler)