Co, accused of syndicated estafa, went into hiding after a court in Iligan City issued an arrest warrant on April 11. His lawyers insisted Co is not hiding. The National Bureau of Investigation and the local police have failed to arrest the politician, who is on his third and last term and still running for congress in the May elections.
Vice Mayor Romeo Pulmones is said to take over as acting mayor, but it was not immediately known whether the Department of Interior and Local Government has issued an order for him to take over Co.
Pulmones, who belongs to the Nationalist People’s Coalition, is running for mayor against Co’s wife Priscilla, who is a member of President Benigno Aquino’s Liberal Party.
Co’s supporters said they will stay in City Hall as a show of support to Co, who also belongs to the Liberal Party. They said they will continue with their vigil until the court lifts its arrest warrant against the politician.
Authorities have implicated the mayor to the Aman Futures’ scam that duped investors of more than P12 billion last year.
Judge Alberto Quinto, of the Regional Trial Court in Lanao del Norte, also ordered the arrest of 9 others, including Malaysian national Manual Amalilio, founder of Aman Futures; Fernando Luna, Lelian Gan, Eduardo Lim, Welanie Fuentes, Naezelle Rodriguez, Lurix Lopez, Jerome Sanchez and Oliver Dequinto.
Manila has previously said it would not give special treatment to Co.
The mayor has repeatedly denied all accusations against him and blamed his political opponents for linking him to Ponzi scheme perpetrated by Aman Futures. Co insisted he was not part of the scam, but a victim.
Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said that based on documentary evidence, the mayor allegedly played a role in the scam.
Maria Dona Coyme, one of the finance managers of Aman Futures, who earlier surrendered to the authorities, also implicated Co and wife, saying they allegedly sought investors for the group.
Amalilio has escaped last year to Malaysia after the collapse of his company, but had been arrested in Sabah on charges of holding a falsified document. Amalilio duped thousands of people in the southern Philippines by promising them 50% interests of all their investments. (With reports from Jonette Yankee and Ely D. Umaboc)
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