Councilor Warlito Go was a no-show at the regular session of the Silay Sangguniang Panlungsod yesterday after the police filed charges against him for violation of Article 201 of the Revised Penal Code, known as Obscene Publication and Indecent Shows, and RA 7610, or the Child Abuse Act, at the Silay City Prosecutor's Office.

Senior Inspector Rico Santotome, chief of the Negros Occidental police Special Operations Group, said two employees of Go identified as Teresita Ferrer and John Onate, who were arrested during a raid at the Wilmar Theatre on Friday in Silay City , were included as respondents in the two criminal complaints.

Go owns the movie theatre that allegedly showed pornographic films, and among those arrested during the raid were two minors, police said.

Councilors Salvador Segovia and Mykol Velez yesterday raised the issues against Go before the regular session of the Silay City Council.

Segovia said Go has to explain his side to the Council, on the allegations against him.

While Vice Mayor Mark Golez said it was a “personal problem” of Go and has nothing to do with his job as a councilor of Silay City , Segovia said the image of the SP was tainted by the allegations since Go is a member of the Council.

If we will let it pass, it may appear that we are tolerating such actuation of our colleague, he added.

Police said Go was not present during the raid, only his two employees and the minors who are high school students, and who were endorsed to the Department of Social Welfare and Development, Ferrer and Onate were endorsed to the Silay City Police Station.

The raid at the movie theatre of Go yielded 33 DVDs and VCDs containing pornographic films, a Sony wide screen and its projector, a DVD player and P820 in cash, and assorted movie tickets.

Golez maintained that Go is innocent unless proven guilty.

Questions were raised on the failure of the police raiding team led by Santotome to secure a search warrant in conducting the raid at the movie house.

Santotome said there was no need for a search warrant, since there was a commission of the crime when the raid took place.

He also said the bail for violation of RA 7610 is between P80,000 to P100,000, and P4,000 for violation of Article 201 of the Revised Penal Code.*GPB

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