By J. Jala | 04:22 PM July 07, 2022
The mayor of Alicia town remains at large after the issuance of the arrest warrant against him.
He was convicted of graft.
The warrant of arrest has been issued against newly elected Alicia Mayor Marnilou “Along” Ayuban prior to his assumption into office.
Judge Jorge Espinal of the Regional Trial Court Branch 51 in Carmen, Bohol, issued an arrest warrant for Ayuban and former councilors Paul Villas, the current municipal budget officer, and Eusebio Ayuban Jr. on June 16, 2022.
Alicia Police said Ayuban could not be found.
Ayuban, through an Office Memorandum Order No. 1, series of 2022 dated June 30, 2022, designated Municipal Administrator Junavie Piquero as officer-in-charge of the Mayor’s Office from June 30, 2022 to July 15, 2022.
Ayuban is also facing a disqualification case and a petition to cancel his certificate of candidacy filed by his opponent, former mayor Victoriano Torres III, before the Commission on Elections in Manila.
Torres filed quo waranto case before the RTC in Carmen on the ground of material misrepresentation for failure of Ayuban to declare his case in his COC.
The case stemmed from a complaint filed before the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas by Jonathan Puracan, who was appointed councilor of Alicia by then Bohol Gov. Rene Relampagos in 2001.
Ayuban, along with seven other members of the Sangguniang Bayan, allegedly refused to recognize Puracan as replacement of Rogelio Balahay, who resigned from his position.
On May 17, 2002, then Judge Patsita Sarmiento-Gamutan of the RTC Branch 51 issued the warrant of arrest against Ayuban and seven others following their conviction of the charges for violation of Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
On June 27, 2016, the RTC found the eight accused guilty of the offense and sentenced each the penalty of imprisonment of six years with perpetual disqualification from public office.
On March 12, 2019, the Court of Appeals Special 20th Division in Cebu City affirmed with modification making the penalty of imprisonment of up to 10 years and six months as maximum with perpetual disqualification from public office.
On March 11, 2020, the Supreme Court Second Division also denied the petition for review and the decision became final and executory on October 14, 2020 as recorded in the Book of Entries of Judgments.
On June 7, 2022, the RTC denied the manifestation with motion to hold in abeyance issuance of warrant to enforce judgment.
Espinal ordered the cancellation of bail bonds posted by Ayuban, Villas, and Ayuban Jr.
