Daraga Mayor Carlwyn Baldo charged with admin case before Ombudsman

In its complaint filed before the Office of the Ombudsman on January 11, Friday, the PNP-CIDG charged Baldo, the alleged mastermind behind the murder of Batocabe, with conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, and graft and corruption. (File photo: Awin Baldo/Facebook)

The mayor of Daraga, Albay is facing a legal challenge after the Philippine National Police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) lodged administrative complaints against him in connection to the killing of AKO Bicol Representative Rodel Batocabe.

In its complaint filed before the Office of the Ombudsman on January 11, Friday, the PNP-CIDG charged Baldo, the alleged mastermind behind the murder of Batocabe, with conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, and graft and corruption.

The first complaint, according to the document, refers to the “administrative aspect of two counts of murder and six counts of multiple frustrated murder” slapped against Baldo.

The second one, meanwhile, is for “willfully allowing the disbursement of public funds” for salaries of his alleged six-man hit team, who were working as “ghost employees” under the Office of the Municipal Mayor.

Batocabe, who was eyeing the mayoral seat of Daraga, was killed along with his security escort, Senior Police Officer (SPO) 1 Orlando Diaz, after they attended a gift-giving event for senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs) in Barangay Burgos last December 22.

All these six individuals allegedly employed by Baldo to gun down Batocabe are now in police custody.

[READ: All 6 suspects in Batocabe slay are now with the police]

These hitmen, identified as suspects Rolando Arimado alias “RR,” Danilo Muella alias “Manoy Dan,” Jaywin Babor alias “Jie,” Henry Yuson, Christopher Naval alias “Tuping,” and Emmanuel Rosello alias “Boboy,” all pointed Baldo as the one who asked them to kill Batocabe, according to the police.

Baldo allegedly offered to pay the suspects five million pesos for the hit job, but they said the mayor failed to give them the full reward money after they killed Batocabe.

The mayor, however, had previously denied the claims against him.

Aside from tagging him in the AKO Bicol Representative’s murder, the PNP, on January 7, also claimed that Baldo also planned to kill former Daraga Mayor Gerry Jaucian, stressing that the information came from their primary witness in Batocabe’s case, Emmanuel Judavar.

[READ: PNP reveals Baldo also ‘planned’ to kill his predecessor]