By Christopher Lloyd Caliwan /PNA
MANILA — Daraga, Albay Mayor Carlwyn Baldo was hospitalized a few hours after he was arrested by members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) on Tuesday.
In a text message sent to reporters Wednesday, Senior Supt. Arnold Ardiente, CIDG-Bicol head, said Baldo was brought to the UST Hospital in Legazpi City around 11:30 p.m.
Ardiente said the mayor’s blood pressure shot up and experienced hyperventilation and asthma attack while inside the jail cell.
However, Ardiente said Baldo did not disclose any medical history prior to his detention.
Baldo was arrested after being served two search warrants that led to the recovery of firearms, ammunition and a vehicle in his house in Barangay Tagas.
The search warrants were issued by Executive Judge Elmer Llanozo of the Legazpi City Regional Trial Court for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.
The operatives served the warrants around 2:30 p.m. where they found two .45-caliber pistols, M203 grenade ammunition, eight bullets for .45-caliber, a live M16 bullet and a magazine for UZI machine pistol buried inside Baldo’s compound.
The M203 ammunition, being an explosive weapon, could be used as evidence to charge Baldo with a non-bailable offense, Calubaquib said.
Also recovered from the mayor was the Isuzu Alterra vehicle believed to have been used as getaway vehicle by the killers of Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Rodel Batocabe and his police escort SPO2 Orlando Diaz earlier this month.
The search was witnessed by Baldo and his family and Warren Bahillo, chairman of Barangay Tagas.
Chief Supt. Amador Corpus, CIDG director, said authorities sought for the issuance of the said search warrant against Baldo after Daniel Muella, one of the six suspects revealed that they used the mayor’s vehicle, the Isuzu Alterra, as a getaway vehicle and that he was once ordered by the latter to bury firearms within his compound.
The suspects and Baldo were charged with murder and multiple frustrated murder charges after several others were also wounded in the gun attack.
Baldo earlier denied involvement in the killing.
