DAANBANTAYAN Mayor Vicente Loot continues to be in hiding.
Loot skipped the annual staging of the Haladaya Festival, Daanbantayan’s festival in honor of its patron saint Sta. Rosa de Lima, that was held on Thursday.
Town officials led by Vice Mayor Gilbert Arrabis gathered at the town’s grand stand with hundreds of Daanbantayan residents in the afternoon to witness the grand showdown of this year’s 13 participanting contingents.
Police Senior Insp. Adrian Nalua, chief of the Daanbantayan Police Station, said they did not receive any information regarding Loot’s presence during the activity.
He said that they have not also seen the mayor in other fiesta activities.
Instead, Provincial Board Member Sun Shimura would attend the fiesta activities in behalf of his family.
Despite the mayor’s absence, Nalua said they prepared a security plan to ensure a safe and secure hosting of the Haladaya festival.
“Nakalatag na ang security (plans) namin para sa whole event, para sa fiesta celebration naka ready na (We prepared a security plan which we implemented during the entire duration of the fiesta celebration),” he said.
They also sought augmentation from the Armed Forces of the Philippines and police stations from neighboring towns.