By Niño Luces and Martin Sadongdong
DARAGA, Albay – Daraga town mayor Carlwyn Baldo on Friday surrendered to the court which issued a warrant for his arrest over the death of Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Rodel Batocabe and his police escort last December.
Daraga, Albay Mayor Carlwyn Baldo (FACEBOOK / MANILA BULLETIN)
Lt. Col Rodelon Betita, Daraga police chief confirmed to Manila Bulletin that Baldo surrendered to Regional Trial Court Judge Maria Theresa San Juan Loquillano at around 8:30 a.m.
The judge then ordered that Baldo be detained at the Legazpi City Jail, Betita said.
Baldo was accompanied by his family and lawyer. The court set his arraignment on May 30.
Baldo had not surfaced since Monday. A police team went to his house twice to serve the warrant and did not find him there.
Baldo was included in the PNP’s “wanted” list after cops failed to serve the warrant on two occasions Monday.
The Daraga police formed a tracker team to hunt down the mayor.
Betita said on Wednesday that as far as he was concerned, Baldo was now a fugitive.
Baldo was the pinpointed mastermind behind the killing of Batocabe and Police Senior Master Sergeant Orlando Diaz in a gift-giving activity in Daraga, Albay on December 22, 2018. Six others were hurt in the incident.
All members of the hit squad pointed to Baldo as the brains behind Batocabe's assassination plot, Police General Oscar Albayalde, PNP Chief, had earlier said.
On Jan. 22, Baldo was arrested over a case of illegal possession of firearms. Instead of being jailed he was confined to a hospital after an asthma attack. He remained at the hospital under police guard until his release in February on bail for P3 million.