Isabela bet faces arrest

SANTIAGO CITY — A Regional Trial Court (RTC) judge in Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya has ordered the arrest of a congressional candidate of the opposition Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino (KNP) in Isabela for a nine-year-old robbery case filed against him by a businessman.

The arrest warrant issued by RTC Judge Gil Valdez for senior Santiago City councilor Anthony Miranda, brother of Mayor Jose Miranda, stemmed from Criminal Case No. 2889 filed by Solano, Nueva Vizcaya businessman Manuel Ang against him on Jan. 10, 1995.

In his complaint, Ang accused Miranda of forcibly removing electrical materials and improvements worth P339,700 from the building which he had leased to the councilor.

Miranda told The STAR that he was not aware of any criminal case filed against him in Bayombong.

"If there is, indeed, a warrant of arrest for me, my police escorts should have arrested me," he said in a chance interview in Echague town last Saturday.

He accused his political rival, re-electionist fourth district Rep. Giorgidi Aggabao, of being behind the smear campaign against him "because he cannot think of any valid issue against me."

Aggabao, a lawyer, said Miranda is now a "wanted person" and urged him to "give himself up to police authorities and face the consequences of his act."

But Miranda dared Aggabao to arrest him if, indeed, an arrest warrant for him exists.