By Glazyl M. Jopson
BACOLOD CITY – The Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (Nocppo) is conducting a manhunt for a former town mayor in Negros Occidental after the Sandiganbayan ordered his arrest.
Police Capt. Judesses Catalogo, Nocppo public information officer, said police are actively searching for former Valladolid Mayor Romel Yogore.
In a 2019 ruling, the Sandiganbayan Seventh Division found Yogore guilty of violating Section 3(e) of Republic Act 3019, also known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
The anti-graft court issued an arrest warrant against Yogore on Dec. 13, 2024.
The Valladolid Municipal Police Station (VMPS) received a copy of the warrant last month and attempted to serve it at Yogore’s residence in Barangay Poblacion, but the former mayor was not home.
Catalogo said police returned the warrant to the issuing court after failing to locate Yogore despite multiple efforts.
Authorities have since requested an alias warrant to facilitate his arrest at any time.
“This is part of the standard operating procedure,” Catalogo said.
Yogore’s graft conviction stemmed from the 2008 purchase of construction materials worth PHP230,395 from his brother-in-law’s hardware without public bidding. The materials were intended for the repair and improvement of a rural health unit.
The case was filed in 2010 by Larry Concepcion, a broadcast journalist from Valladolid.
The Sandiganbayan sentenced Yogore to six years and one month to eight years in prison with perpetual disqualification from holding public office.
On March 3, 2022, the Supreme Court rejected Yogore’s appeal, making the decision final and executory on March 29, 2024.
Seven other individuals were acquitted, except for Yogore’s former municipal engineer and local bids and awards committee vice chairman, who pleaded guilty to a lesser offense and was fined PHP5,000.
Yogore has yet to issue a statement.
