AN Ilocos Sur court ordered the arrest of a town mayor for illegal detention and grave coercion after padlocking a local resort while its operator and other employees were still in the property. In separate orders both dated Feb. 18, Acting Presiding Judge Raphiel F. Alzate of Cabugao, Ilocos Sur Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 24 ordered the Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigation to serve the arrest warrant against Cabugao Mayor Josh Edward S. Cobangbang and 18 others. The crime of serious illegal detention is non-bailable while a bail bond of P36,000 for each of the other respondents was set for grave coercion. On Jan. 15, the Department of Justice ordered the Provincial Prosecutor of Ilocos Sur to charge Mr. Cobangbang, following a complaint by Cabugao Beach Resort (CBR) operator Virginia Nicole Savellano-Ong. Municipal employees on Aug. 23, 2017, threatened to close the resort, and padlocked CBR while Ms. Ong, her four-year-old son, and her employees were still within the premises. They refused to leave when the municipal government failed to present any court order. The municipality passed an ordinance in 2016 which allowed the lease of the resort to investors. — Vann Marlo M. Villegas

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