Baquerfo 'arrested'

CEBU, Philippines - Beleaguered Tudela Mayor Rogelio Baquerfo Sr. was arrested yesterday inside the municipal building in connection with a case for malversation filed five years ago.

The warrant of arrest issued by Justice Ma. Cristina Cortez-Estrada of the Sandiganbayan fifth division was served by Tudela police.

But Baquerfo’s lawyer, Noel Archival, denied his client was arrested.

Archival told The Freeman that the police showed a photocopy of an alleged warrant of arrest against his client.

According to Archival, he was questioning the authenticity of the warrant because it could have just been manufactured to harass Baquerfo.

Archival said he advised the police and Baquerfo to come to Cebu City for him to be able to see the copy of the warrant.

He added that as soon as the warrant is authentic his client will immediately post bail. Archival admitted that his client was charged with malversation of public property before the anti-graft court. The case was filed by Baquerfo’s bitter political rival, Demetrio Granada, in 2004 because of the 350 bags of cement that the mayor allegedly got for personal use.

Archival said that the bags of cement were taken by his client as replacement of his personal property used by the municipal government’s clean and green project. He explained that the release of the budget was delayed prompting Baquerfo then to use the cement he purchased using his personal funds.

As soon as the budget of the municipal government was released, Baquerfo allegedly took the 350 bags of cement amounting to P339,233 as replacement.

Baquerfo was however charged with malversation of public property before the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas wherein he was indicted. 

A certified true copy of the warrant of arrest reached the office of the National Bureau of Investigation yesterday afternoon. Based on the warrant, the anti-graft court has set P40,000 bail for Baquerfo’s temporary liberty.

Granada’s Statement

Granada said over radio station dySS that during the preliminary hearing at the Ombudsman, Baquerfo admitted that the 350 sacks of cement were with him but insisted that they were to replace the sacks of cement that the municipality borrowed from him.

Granada added that Baquerfo keeps on filing a motion for the case to be delayed but fortunately it reached the Sandiganbayan.

Granada also said that he presented hard evidence for the case and expressed dismay at how the police handled the arrest of his political rival.

He said that Baquerfo who allegedly stole a big amount of money was not automatically sent to prison unlike masiao operators who are immediately jailed after their arrest.

Granada alleged that Baquerfo even asked the police to escort him to a mountain barangay of Poro Camotes to look for money.

Prior to this he alleged also that Baquerfo and the arresting officer “ang nagsugba-sugba pa og isda sa wala pa dalha dinhi sa Cebu.”

Around 5 pm yesterday Baquerfo left Tudela for Cebu City. – Fred P. Languido, Johanna Natavio and Christopher Gabriel Bonjoc/NLQ (THE FREEMAN)