MORE NEWS, TARLAC

Administrator of Tarlac town jailed over accounts

CAPAS, Tarlac – The municipal administrator of this town was detained in the town’s jail last week after the Sandiganbayan ordered his arrest for his alleged "failure as accountable officer to render accounts."

He allegedly committed the offense when he was mayor of this town several years ago.

Senior Supt. Rudy G. Lacadin, Tarlac police director, in a memorandum released to the media, said Hermes Frias, 66, former mayor of Capas, accompanied by incumbent Mayor Reynaldo L. Catacutan, surrendered to Judge Alipio Yumul of Regional Trial Court’s Branch 66 in Tarlac.

Lacadin said a "bench warrant of arrest, pursuant to the court’s resolution dated July 10, 2008, was issued by Associate Justice Gregory S. Ong of the 4th Division of the Sandiganbayan in Quezon City, entitled "People of the Philippines vs. Frias" under criminal case No. 26321.
Frias was detained in the Capas municipal jail upon the order of Yumul.

The Capas police had earlier failed to enforce the arrest order "after the whereabouts of Frias could not be ascertained," Lacadin said. -- JK