Court lets detainee out of cell to campaign for his candidacy

The Regional Trial Court in Toledo City has allowed Jigger Geverola, deemed a political detainee, to go out of his cell in the military’s Central Command to campaign for his candidacy for councilor in his hometown in Argao and vote in the May 14 elections.

Judge Gaudioso Villarin issued an order to give Geverola the time to campaign from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., from April 22 to May 6. The judge also allowed the detainee to vote on May 14 between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. at a precinct in barangay Gutlang, Argao.

Judge Villarin also ordered the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center, which has jurisdiction over the detainee while being incarcerated in the military camp, to provide security to Geverola during his campaign sorties and on the day of the election.

Capitol consultant Byron Garcia however said the CPDRC is now short of manpower so it could not provide the needed security for Geverola while campaigning. He said the CPDRC management will file a manifestation in court that it could secure Geverola only on election day.

"Absences incurred by any CPDRC personnel would inevitably affect not only the schedule of their duty detail but also the security of the center," Garcia said, adding that the CentCom would not provide security also without men from CPDRC.

Geverola has been in jail for three years already while facing charges of rebellion in a Danao City court, and for an arson case in a Toledo City court in connection with the burning of a bus reportedly by rebels in 2004.

Geverola has insisted he was not a rebel although he admitted that he had connection with the rebel’s National Democratic Front. He was first imprisoned at CPDRC but, after a series of complaints against authorities there, he was moved to the CentCom’s detention cell.

While in prison, he filed last March 27 his certificate of candidacy for councilor, making him the first political prisoner in Cebu to run for public office in the coming election.

Geverola earlier said his agenda, if he wins the election, would be "to bring the government closer to the people by promoting good and participatory governance." He added that he would push for the holding of municipal council sessions in the barangays so that officials can also see the situation of the constituents.

Garcia, for his part, lambasted Geverola’s allegations about overpricing in the construction of the kitchen in the CPDRC that amounted to P3 million. "Enough is enough," he said, adding that Geverola was merely using CPDRC to gain political mileage for his candidacy.

In a press conference, Garcia said the rebels got mad at him for turning down their demands for P500,000 cash and high-powered firearms, and this prompted Geverola to attack his office with allegations of corruption.

Garcia let reporters listen to his taped conversation allegedly with a lawyer of Geverola, who allegedly served as the spokesman of the rebels, who said that the money would be "used for the campaign" of Geverola.

He said his lawyers are now preparing to file extortion and threat charges against Geverola and his counsel. "Kining ilang pagkiha-kiha nako, political extortion," he said. — Garry B. Lao/RAE