11/10/2025
JOURNALIST'S PLEA: APPREHEND FUGITIVE EX. MAYOR OF VALLADOLID.
(My personal appeal to the authorities)
-Chito Mabaquiao Berjit Jr. -
This man is the Former Mayor of the Municipality of Valladolid, Negros Occidental. On November 29, 2024, a judgement of conviction was promulgated against him. On December 13, 2024, the Supreme Court issued a Warrant of Arrest against the accused, who was found "Guilty" beyond reasonable doubt of violating Section 3 (e) of R.A. 3019, also known as the Anti-Graft Practices Act (which declares unlawful the act of a public officer who, through manifest partiality, evident bad faith, or gross inexcusable negligence, causes undue injury to any party, including the government, or gives any private party unwarranted benefits, advantage, or preference in the discharge of their official function).
In connection with this, the Supreme Court Seventh Division furnished a copy of the Warrant of Arrest on the date mentioned above, stating: "Warrant of Arrest to serve sentence" to the following agencies:
The Chief PNP
The Director
The Chief of Police
The Provincial Director
The NBI Regional Director
CIDG, Camp Crame, Quezon City
NBI Dioddado Macapagal Ave., Pasay City
6103 Valladolid, Negros Occidental
6100 Bacolod City, Negros Occidental
Region 6, 5000, Iloilo City.
The accused was sentenced to suffer the penalty of "IMPRISONMENT" for Six (6) years and One (1) day as the minimum, to Eight (8) years and One (1) day as the maximum.
As a victim who suffered for 14 years defending myself in court hearings for the harassment he did to us by filing a libel case. As a journalist, I was only doing my duty and responsibility to provide answers to the complaints of the citizens of Valladolid, for fair and balanced reporting. He was invited several times to my program to give his side, but to no avail. Instead, he filed several charges of libel but was totally dismissed.
The worst was when our Warrant of Arrest, together with my colleague Larry Concepcion, was released at 4:50 pm way back in 2010, which, for us, was a maneuver to prevent us from posting bail because there was no time due to the close of office hours. In short, it was a manipulation with the intent to make sure we would be imprisoned for at least two days. That's why we voluntarily surrendered to CIDG.
In this regard, I am appealing to the aforementioned concerned agencies to please find a way to apprehend this fugitive.ll # # #