By Dandan A. Bantugan
Tagbilaran City – The Bohol provincial police is trying to find out more about a group that is recruiting “appointees” for President Duterte’s supposed revolutionary government and offering them a share of the ill-gotten wealth of the late President Ferdinand Marcos.
The Bohol police chief, Supt. Angeles Georga Jr., said he received the report Monday from the police chief of Ubay town, Sr. Inspector Desiree Lavisto, regarding the arrest of Celestino Java, 56, of Barangay Pag-asa in Ubay, Bohol.
Java organized a gathering Saturday at a gym in Barangay San Pascual, Ubay, that was attended by over 3,000 people.
The group calls itself the “People’s Congress”.
Java was taken into police custody after he was unable to present a mayor’s permit for the assembly.
Georga said Java’s operation was a large scam and his office is considering filing additional charges against him.
The organization, which has no documents to prove its legality, was collecting fees from its members, he said.
The group promised members they would be given positions in government if the planned shift to a federal government succeeds, or a revolutionary government is established.
They were also promised P5 million as their share of the Marcos wealth.
The shares were to be distributed by a certain Tiborsio Villamor Marcos Taliano Tagui-An IV who Java claimed was a son of the late strongman.
Based on gathered documents, 374 people have signed an “oath of allegiance” to the group.
Most of those who attended the assembly were losing candidates during the previous elections. Several rebel returnees were also spotted during the event.