POLICE SAY: 'Disappearance' of mayorbet may have political link

CEBU, Philippines - Apart from politics, police investigators see no other reason behind the disappearance of a mayoralty candidate of Pavia, Iloilo.

Still, the supposed disappearance of Michael Jimena Gorriceta cannot also be construed as kidnapping, said Pavia Police chief Insp. Dante Dumaguing. Investigation does not indicate the same just yet, he said.

“Maybe, he was kept by someone at his own volition. He could be hiding from a lot of persons because of his decision to run for mayor,” Dumaguing said.

“From the looks of it, it’s politically-motivated,” Dumaguing said, but refused to elaborate further.

Iloilo Police Director Senior Supt. Gil Lebin ordered an investigation into Gorriceta’s disappearance following a fracas at the Commission on Elections office in Pavia town last Friday, the last day of filing of Certificate of Candidacy for the 2013 polls.

It was lawyer Joeneevill Taneza, armed with a special power of attorney, who filed Gorriceta’s COC on Friday morning.

The brawl happened after Gorriceta’s father, Gerardo Gorriceta Jr., an ambulance driver, grabbed the copies of the COC from Evelina Maciado, Comelec municipal officer of Pavia.

Maciado held on to the documents until Gerardo left go of them but his wife, Rochelle, and another woman attempted to grab the COCs again. But Maciado did not give up until help arrived.

Gorriceta’s parents reportedly did not want him to be “used” by some individuals to muddle the candidacy of another Michael Gorriceta.

They also urged Taneza to reveal their son’s whereabouts, but the lawyer did not budge and just claimed that his client will be the one to contact them.

Last September 23, the couple reported to the Pavia Police Station that their son had gone missing.

Gorriceta’s father-in-law, Edison Cuya, allegedly claimed that he would bring Gorriceta and the latter’s wife to Cagayan de Oro so that his son-in-law could look for a better job.

Prior to his filing of the COC, Gorriceta was employed on a casual basis by the Pavia Municipal government.

Meanwhile, the other Michael is Sangguniang Bayan member Michael Barredo Gorriceta, son of incumbent Mayor Arcadio Gorriceta.

Michael Barrido Gorriceta filed his COC last Monday and will run as mayor while his father, Arcadio, will run as representative of the second district of Iloilo under the Liberal Party.

Michael Barrido Gorriceta will run against Dr. Huvero of the United Nationalist Alliance and the other Michael Gorriceta.

The younger Gorriceta could not believe that Michael Jimena Gorriceta, who happens to be a distant cousin, would run against him.

He claimed to have received reports that in exchange for running for next year’s polls, the lesser known Gorriceta would get a house and lot and P5 million. /JMO (FREEMAN)