By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Moises Padilla Vice Mayor (VM) Ian Villaflor and town councilor Vincent Garcia have formally returned to their respective offices at the municipal hall after posting bail over their alleged involvement over the murder of town councilor Jolomar Hilario in 2019.

Aside from the two elected officials, former councilors Jimmiedon Plaza and Morito Flores have also posted bail.

The four each paid P200,000 and were subsequently ordered to be released by acting Presiding Judge Eric Anthony Dumpilo of Branch 64, 7th Judicial Region, Guihulngan City in Negros Occidental dated June 25, 2022.

Dumpilo approved their motion to bail after a lone witness from the prosecution recanted a testimony.

Villaflor and Plaza were previously detained at the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Field office in Bacolod City, while Flores and Garcia were detained at the Moises Padilla Municipal Police Station.

While jailed, Villaflor and Garcia were also successful in their reelection bid, while Plaza and Flores failed to be reelected during the May 9, 2022 national and local elections./DGB, WDJ