Hinigaran mayor files charges against opponent’s husband

April 5, 2022 by No Comments

HINIGARAN town Mayor Jose Nadie Arceo has filed charges against an official of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) who happens to be the husband of his challenger before the Office of the Ombudsman.Assisted by his lawyers Victorio Torrecareon Jr. and Rey Gorgonio, Arceo filed the complaint on March 31, documents sent by his camp to SunStar Bacolod showed.The charges filed against Brigadier General Randy Peralta of the Philippine National Police-CIDG, Major Chris Arthemius Devaras and Corporal Vincent Bantillo of CIDG-Bacolod included grave misconduct, violation of the anti-graft and corrupt practices act and violation of the omnibus election code, the complaint showed.Arceo is also asking the Ombudsman to remove Peralta, husband of his challenger Mitchelle Peralta, as police brigadier general because of the alleged violations.”We finally filed the cases against them because we felt that we need to fight back for including my name in a homicide case against my bodyguard,” Arceo said.He said they (the accused) wanted to make it appear that he is involved and have participation in the murder case.The CIDG-Bacolod Field Unit filed a complaint at the Negros Occidental Provincial Prosecutor’s Office on February 17 against Arceo’s bodyguard Leroy Espinosa and his brother Leonardo Espinosa for murder and frustrated murder in connection with the death of Mark Christian Salazar and wounding of Liza Salazar-Celi.Investigation showed that Arceo’s bodyguard and the latter’s brother figured in an argument with Salazar that resulted in a commotion at the Pantalan Daan in Barangay 1, Hinigaran town on December 18, 2021.Armed with a .45 caliber pistol, the suspect allegedly shot Salazar, hitting the different parts of his body, while his wife suffered gunshot wounds on her stomach and right leg.Both victims were rushed to Hinigaran Medical Clinic, but Salazar was declared dead on arrival, while his wife was later referred to Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital in Bacolod City.The CIDG attached a supplementary affidavit of Olivia Salazar dated January 4, implicating the Espinosas and linking Arceo to the crime.Arceo said Salazar’s mother, Olivia, had a handwritten letter to the CIDG asking only for the reinvestigation of the case and clearing him from any participation in the death of her son.”It shows clear malice on the part of CIDG-Bacolod to intervene and implicate my name in the case,” he said, adding that there is no truth to the claims that he ordered the killing of Salazar.The mayor also denied involvement in illegal drugs and other activities.”This never happened if, during that time, Peralta was not appointed as CIDG Deputy Director and if these people were not appointed here,” Arceo lamented at a press conference in Bacolod City Tuesday, April 5.He said the appointees of Peralta at CIDG-Bacolod influenced the Salazar family to implicate him on the case, which he said is politically motivated.Peralta could not be reached for comment as of Tuesday, April 5.