THE suspension of Patag barangay chairman Benedicto Fabricante has turned into a political battle royale between the ruling PaDayon Pilipino and the opposition.

The latter takes cudgels for Fabricante against what it said was a “grand plan” to neutralize anti-administration figures.

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This as Fabricante’s lawyers last Tuesday asked the court to issue an injunction on Mayor Constantino Jaraula’s order placing the barangay official under 90-day preventive suspension for grave abuse of power and falsification of public documents.

Lawyer Mar Carrasco said they will also file criminal charges against acting Patag Barangay chairman Alan Roy Sambaan for allegedly using force to remove Fabricante’s supporters who holed themselves up inside the barangay hall when the suspension order was served Monday.

Sambaan, who was also accused of tearing down the protest materials set up by Fabricante’s supporters, denied he and his supporters used force when he took over the barangay hall last Tuesday.

“Dili lang unta magpasobra sa ilang emotion ang atong mga kauban dinhi kay makabalik ra man ang ilang kapitan, it just happened nga dunay suspension order,” Sambaan said.

At the City Council, Majority Floor leader Ramon Tabor defended the blue ribbon committee’s recommendation that paved the way for Fabricante’s temporary removal from office.

“We stand by our ruling and we are ready to face the music,” said Tabor, the blue ribbon committee vice chairman.

At least 200 supporters of Fabricante trooped to the City Council session, during which the minority bloc spoke against the barangay official’s suspension.

In a special report defending Fabricante, Councilor Teodulfo Lao said the committee’s recommendation ran counter to the Local Government Code.

He alleged that due process was not followed, accusing the administration-dominated blue ribbon committee of rushing the recommendation to suspend Fabricante.

But Tabor defended their decision, saying the recommendation for preventive suspension was within the ambit of the Local Government Code.

He said the issues surrounding Fabricante’s administrative case had already been joined.

“We had to forward a recommendation to the mayor since compared to other administrative cases lodged in our committee, his (Fabricante) issues have been joined,” said Tabor.

He admitted, however, that there are still pending cases older than Fabricante’s awaiting resolution.

Barangay Gusa Chair Enrico Salcedo, an opposition figure, said their colleague’s suspension could be used as precedent for other cases facing opposition-aligned barangay chairmen.

He said Fabricante’s suspension was part of moves to harass political opponents as the elections near.

“This is pure and unadulterated political harassment. Nganong kadtong uban nga kapitan who are allied with them are not being suspended?” he said.

He believes that Vice Mayor Vicente Emano, PaDayon founder, was behind the “politically-motivated move.”

Moreover, opposition Councilor Roger Abaday recalled his suspension by City Hall in 2002 when he was still a barangay chairman of Kauswagan.

Abaday cited his own vindication by the Ombudsman when it dismissed the administrative charges against him and ordered then Mayor Vicente Emano to release his salary retroactively.

“Klaro nga singled out gyud si Fabricante. Grabe, sa 80 ka barangay sa syudad, daghan pa mas grabe pa nga mga kaso, siya gyud ang gipili,” Abaday said.

Councilor Zaldy Ocon, another member of the minority bloc, also cited his own experience when he was sanctioned with a one-month suspension in 2004.

“Daghan pa mas nag-una pa kay Fabricante nga kaso sa Blue Ribbon Committee pero nganong siya man gyud? Wala gani ko kasabot unsa gyud sala ni Benny (Fabricante). Naa nay history ni nga konseho nga magpataka og suspend. Tungod ining gibuhat nato sa konseho, atong giperwisyo ang katawhan sa Patag,” Ocon told his colleagues.