Daraga, Albay ––At least three political candidates from Donsol, Sorsogon, including an incumbent councilor running for vice mayor, were found dead inside an “ukay-ukay” (used clothes) store owned by controversial Peter Joemel “Bikoy” Advincula on Friday, November 12.
Found dead were Helen Advincula-Garay, 53, incumbent municipal councilor of Donsol, Sorsogon, Kareen Dela Rosa Averilla, 44 years old, married, business woman and Xavier Alim Mirasol, 61 years old, businessman, all resident of Donsol town.
Garay, is the topnotcher municipal councilor in 2019 and number one in the current survey for vice mayoral post running under the United Nationalists Alliance party.
She is going against last termer incumbent Mayor Josephine Alcantara-Cruz. While Averilla and Mirasol are also running for town councilor under UNA.
Police Lt. Col. Bogard Arao, Daraga town chief of police said that about 12:00 midnight on November 12, 2021, Lalaine H. Amor reported to their headquarters that her friends Garay, Averilla and Mirasol were taken individually by Bikoy Advincula.
She said that they (Garay, Averilla and Mirasol were taken individually at about a two hours interval.
She was taken almost night time, but felt suspicious when she did not see her three other companions.
“I was taken for a ride somewhere in Busay village Daraga town and was dragged by Bikoy to get to the Ukay-Ukay store. But I was able to fight back and escape from Bikoy’s hand,” Lalaine said.
“I ran through the nearest sari-sari store to save my life from Bikoy as I felt something bad and suspicious when my companions went missing. Bikoy tried to pull me but the owner of the sari-sari store helped me out to get in their home and allowed me to use her phone to call my husband,” she said.
At 4:00 AM on Friday, Peter Joemil “Bikoy’ Advencula also reported at Daraga police headquarters saying that three persons were found dead inside his ukay-ukay store. The Daraga cops immediately proceeded to Busay village to investigate where the three cadavers were uncovered by Bikoy.
The next day, Lalaine went back to the sari-sari store along with her husband to personally express her gratitude. The sari-sari store is just a few meters away from the ukay-ukay store where she was dragged by Bikoy.
Surprisingly, Amor saw a group of policemen and people thronged within the premises of ukay-ukay storeand then Advincula where the cadavers of the three persons were uncovered following Bikoy’s report.
Lalaine found out that the three dead persons found inside the ukay-ukay store were Helen, Karen and Xavier, all lifeless with gunshot wounds.
She approached the police and told them that Bikoy was the one who took away her companions. Bikoy was immediately arrested by policemen.
In 2019, Advincula gained notoriety over the video “Ang Totoong Narcolist” that linked President Rodrigo Duterte’s children to the illegal drug trade, an allegation that he recanted later.
Amor, who is also running for councilor in Donsol, said Advincula invited them for a meeting with a political coordinator of former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos in Legazpi which never took place.
Cerilo Llaguno, 59, owner of the C&E Building said in an interview with this reporter that the tenant of the ukay-ukay (used clothing) store is Agnes Abo, Bikoy’s live-in partner who is often around the store premises.
Abo is running for mayoral post in Donsol Sorsogon as an independent. Llaguno said that Abo is renting the space in his building with a three months contract from October 4 to Jan 4 , 2022.
Arao said that the incident could be attributed to politics or business related cases. But Arao said that they will be doing all possible means to uncover the truth where they are working hand in hand with Donsol cops.
“We will do the best we can to find out the truth. Bikoy is facing multiple murder charges,” Arao said in a press conference on Friday afternoon.
Garay is running against incumbent Mayor Josephine Alcantara -Cruz of Donsol for vice mayor post in 2022 local polls. She filed graft and corruption cases against Alcantara-Cruz, Ocaya and six other members of the municipal councilmen in Donsol.
(By: Raneza Sabina Barcebal)