Capitol lawyers review Arsenio's stay at CPDRC

CEBU, Philippines - Former Aklan mayor Alfredo Arsenio’s stay at the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) is now under review by Capitol lawyers.

This is on orders of Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, who cited that the jail is only intended for those accused from Cebu province.

“I’m asking our lawyers to review his continued stay at CPDRC,” Garcia said, adding that as far as she is concerned, she wants to refuse the former mayor’s continued stay at the jail.

The recent embarrassment brought by the former mayor to the jail and Capitol officials prompted assistant state prosecutor Avila to say that past mistakes should not happen again.

Last Feb. 9, the governor relieved acting warden Algier Comendador and his assistant, Reynaldo Pepito, over the controversial mayor’s “lunch out” in a restaurant with his lawyer and escort after a court hearing without a court permit.

Garcia also suspended jail guard Edison Ferraren, the escort.

The Department of Justice also asked the court to issue a show-cause order against the former mayor, his lawyer Eduardo Arriba and Ferraren, to explain why they should not be held in contempt of court for eating in a restaurant without the court’s permission.

Late last March, the mayor again landed in the news after he got irked over photographers flashing cameras, and he threw his eyeglasses at one of them.

On March 24, jail security cameras caught him hosting his birthday party inside Miranda’s office.

Unknown to Miranda, a video footage of the party was submitted to Capitol officials, and by March 27 Miranda was ordered to explain.

The former mayor is facing a murder case for the death of a broadcaster in Aklan.

Garcia said that there was an error on part of the warden. — (FREEMAN)