[UPDATED] Cops try to arrest UNA Iloilo bet for tax evasion

ILOILO CITY, Philippines — Cops were sent here all the way from the Philippine National Police headquarters in Quezon City on Wednesday evening, May 1, to arrest the mayoral candidate of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) Rommel Ynion for tax evasion.

The arrest came less than two months after the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) filed a case against Ynion before the Court of Tax Appeals for failing to pay a total tax deficiency of P46.54 million from 2006 to 2010.

On March 15, a week after the BIR filed the case, no less than commissioner Kim Henares came to Iloilo to announce that she had filed the case against Ynion.

The warrant of arrest was served at around 9 p.m. while Ynion was in a campaign sortie, a community meeting, with his party mates in Barangay Bitoon in Jaro.

Ynion’s ally, congressman Raul Gonzalez Jr, said the arrest is a clear form of political harassment. He cited the irregularities in how the police is trying to make the arrest: it is being done in the evening, on a holiday (Labor Day), by cops who came all the way from Crame.

Ynion is running against re-electionist Iloilo City Mayor Jed Mabilog, the candidate of President Benigno III’s Liberal Party. 

Residents who were at the village meeting surrounded Ynion to protect him, causing a stalemate for about two hours.

Ynion was later rushed to the St. Paul’s Hospital, here in the city, after his blood pressure shot up. He has been advised by doctors to stay at the hospital overnight.

The mayoral canddiate will post bail of P20,000 first thing Thursday morning, May 2.

Ynion’s camp suspects Liberal Party stalwart Senator Franklin Drilon, who is also from Iloilo, to be behind the attempt to hastily arrest Ynion. – Rappler.com