Capitol official’s pickup hits couple in Bogo City, kills golf course worker

Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III faces the press and talks about his close door meeting with Capitol chief security officer Loy Madrigal. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)

Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III apparently had enough of troubles that followed his trusted Chief Security Officer Loy Madrigal in the wake of a scandal involving the latter’s relationship with a married secretary.

“I want him suspended,” Davide told reporters last night after meeting privately with the security chief in the morning and approving a 20-day leave of absence.

The last straw was not “immorality” which the governor said was the issue with the secretary, but a vehicular accident on Sunday night when Madrigal’s speeding panel truck collided with a motorcycle in Bogo City, north Cebu killing the driver.

Felix Mirambel, 50, died 2:50 p.m. yesterday at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center. His injured left leg had to be amputated. There were complications arising from the surgery, according to his nephew Aldrin.

The victim’s wife Marites, 40, was also operated on for a leg injury. The couple, who both work at the Queen’s Island Golf and Resort in Medellin town, were heading home to Bogo City at 8:20 p.m. when their motorbike was hit by Madrigal’s service vehicle, a black pickup with plate number SJC 600, heading in the opposite direction.

Madrigal was in the government vehicle along with several men with long firearms, on their way to the San Remigio police station.

Madrigal would not comment on the accident when he spoke with Capitol reporters in the morning other than saying his driver Alberto Naraja, 45, was at the wheel.

He had just left the governor’s office teary-eyed. Madrigal said he was touched by the sight of 60 fishermen from remote Daanbantayan town and Talisay City who gathered in front of the Capitol with banners to show their support for him.

“I’ve decided to file a leave of absence pending the result of the investigation. It’s also a much-needed break for everyone,” said the chief enforcer of the province’s anti-illegal fishing task force.

“I have to fix everything for now. Even my family is affected,” said Madrigal, who is divorced from his wife in the United States but has children in Cebu.

He insisted that he only had a “working relationship” with his secretary, a Iris Plaquita Camello, whom he described as a “single mother”.

Last Sunday, Iris’ 27-year-old husband Redero called a press conference to refute his account, saying the Capitol official lured his wife by sending gifts of lingerie, bags, wallets, and shoes including fish from task force operations.

The airport employee said his spouse, started turning “cold” after working as Madrigal’s secretary last year and left their family home with their two daughters in January.

Capitol chief security office Loy Madrigal (right in dark glasses) approaches almost a hundred fisher folks with their children from Talisay City who form a rally in front of the entrance of the Governor’s office showing their support for Madrigal. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)

PRIVATE MEETING

Davide met privately with the security officer in the Governor’s Office yesterday morning.

Asked to resign, Madrigal appealed for reconsideration and was granted a 20-day leave of absence.

“As father of the province, with regard to this issue involving two employees of the provincial government, I have to do something—they have to be investigated,” Davide told reporters in a press conference.
As part of due process, Madrigal will be investigated by the Capitol Committee on Discipline and Investigation (CODI).

The governor said he was confident that even without Madrigal, the anti-illegal fishing task force would function properly.

Asked if they discussed the relationship between Madrigal and his secretary the governor said yes, but waved his hands, saying he’d rather keep the details to himself.

“What we spoke about was between the chief security officer and the governor,” he said.

The tone changed in the late afternoon, after the driver in the road accident died. Reporters asked Governor Davide about it, this time with details of the mishap involving the driver in the golf resort and his injured wife, a room attendant.

A spot report in the Cebu provincial police office said Madrigal was reportedly followed by two unindentified armed men riding a motorbike while on his way to San Remegio from Bogo city, northern Cebu, last Sunday.

Madrigal aid he was lucky enough to notice he was being tailed and lost the riders along the way.

On his way to the police station to give a report, however, Madrigal´s black pick-up hit the motorcycle-riding couple along the national highway in barangay San Pedro, Bogo city.

“We took care of the hospital expenses and will provide burial assistance to the family,” said Provincial Information Officer Ethel Natera.

She clarified that although the governor wants Madrigal suspended, approval was already granted for a 20-day leave of absence, so Capitol officials will check whether the leave can be be superseded and replaced with a suspension.

Provincial Administrator Mark Tolentino said they will see if this is possible under rules of the Human Resources (HR) Department today.

¨Whatever the governor´s decision is, I will respect that,¨ said Madrigal.

He denied having been the reason for the marital problems of his secretary.

“I am unaware of that,” he told reporters.

“I tell my staff that when they come to work, they should leave their drama at home. Unsay problema sa pamilya, ibilin sa balay.” (Whatever is their family problem, leave it at home.)

He said his secretary’s husband, “Red” Camello, was just manipulated by Medellin Mayor Ricardo Ramirez, a long-time and persistent critic.

“Di na lang ko mo comment og taas ani nga issue. I’m sure Ricky is manipulating the ex of my secretary. The more ko motubay, the more siya mogara,” said Madrigal.

(I won’t comment further on the issue… the more I respond, the more he acts up.)

It was a photo of Madrigal and his secretary, seated cozily on a bench in the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, posted by the mayor on his Facebook account that focused attention on the relationship.

“That was my personal time. Whether I was seeing a man or a woman, it’s none of his (Ramirez) business. It’s my private life,” said Madrigal at the time.

But Governor Davide promptly asked him and the secretary to resign “because for me the issue here is one of morality.”

“Looking at the photos, it was clear that there is a relationship,” he said./with Correspondent Apple Ta-as

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