BACOLOD CITY – Police are hunting former Valladolid, Negros Occidental Mayor Romel Yogore who was found guilty of graft by the Sandiganbayan in 2019.
The Sandiganbayan Seventh Division found Yogore guilty of violating Section 3 (e) of Republic Act 3019, the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. The anti-graft court issued an arrest warrant against Yogore dated Dec. 13, 2024.
Police Capt. Judesses Catalogo, Negros Occidental police spokesperson, said that the Valladolid Municipal Police Station received the arrest warrant last month and attempted to serve the document at Yogore’s house in Barangay Poblacion. However, he was not present.
Police returned the warrant to the issuing court after unsuccessful efforts to locate him.
As part of standard operating procedure, Catalogo said a request for an alias warrant has been made to allow Yogore’s arrest any time.
The complaint against Yogore and eight others was filed by a local broadcast journalist from Valladolid in 2010.
It stemmed from the municipal government’s purchase of construction materials worth P230,395 from his brother-in-law’s hardware store, without a public bidding, for the repair and improvement of a rural health unit in 2008.
Yogore was sentenced to a prison term of six years and one month to eight years and perpetually disqualified from holding public office.
The Supreme Court denied Yogore’s appeal on March 3, 2022, and its ruling became final and executory on March 29, 2024.
Yogore's seven other co-accused were acquitted.
His former municipal engineer and vice chairman of the local bids and awards committee pleaded guilty to a lesser offense and was fined P5,000.
Yogore has yet to issue any statement on his conviction.