A JUDGE in Toledo City in western Cebu has ordered the arrest of former Mayor Rose Marie Suezo of Tuburan town and seven others who are facing election violation charges for allegedly distributing food, packs of juices, and other materials that bear their names during the election campaign in 2013.
In an order dated June 5, 2018, Judge Hermes Montero of the Regional Trial Court Branch 59 denied the plea of the accused to forego the issuance of arrest warrants and to dismiss the charges against them.
“A perusal of the Motion for Reconsideration would show that the issues raised therein are just a repetition or rehash of what has already been discussed in the questioned order dated Feb. 2, 2018 so much so that, as no new matters are raised therein, there is no cogent reason to warrant reconsideration or reversal of the questioned order,” he said.
Ordered arrested by the court were Suezo, businesswoman Daphne Lagon, Kulas Edillon, Flora Jusay, Ray Laurel, Roy Tabada, Marie Tabotabo and Rosalino Yuson.
The eight accused were facing trial for allegedly violating the Omnibus Election Code, which prohibits any candidate, political party, organizations or any person from giving or accepting, free of charge, directly or indirectly, transportation, food or drinks or things of value five hours before and after a public meeting.
Bail was recommended at P12,000.
A certain Maricel Cajeras earlier filed a complaint against the accused before the Commission on Elections (Comelec), which found sufficient basis to elevate the case to the trial court.
Cebu Daily News tried to contact Lagon by phone but the calls were not answered.
Text message sent to her was also left unanswered.
Last year, the court declared Lagon as the rightful winner in the 2016 mayoralty race in Tuburan town and ordered the sitting mayor, Democrito Diamante, to vacate the post.
A manual recount of votes from at least 11 precincts in Tuburan showed Lagon won by 93 votes over Diamante.
Diamante, however, got a Writ of Preliminary Injunction from the Comelec, thus stopping the court decision.