Mayor views admin case as ‘politically motivated’

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

CAGAYAN de Oro City Mayor Vicente Emano said the administrative complaint filed against him by members of Save CDO Now Movement that is contained in his 32-page answer sent to Malacañang is politically motivated.

In a copy of his answer obtained by Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro Tuesday, Emano said the complaint is motivated by partisan politics and is intended to harass him for personal political advantage.

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He said the complaint was not filed in “good faith for the good of the public.”

“The complainants are partisan politicians and supporters who are rabidly against the mayor as it seethes with baseless accusations and innuendoes against the respondent,” Emano said in his answer.

The administrative complaint for gross negligence and dereliction of duty was filed by Save CDO Now Movement members Raul Ramon Roa, Dr. Vincent Tero, former city councilor Teodulfo Lao, former Gusa village chief Enrico Salcedo and former city councilor Celestino Ocio III.

Emano said Salcedo was the former campaign manager of his arch rival in the 2010 mayoralty seat Rolando Uy.

The complaint stemmed from Emano’s alleged negligence in protecting the city’s residents from the wrath of Tropical Storm Sendong on December 16 and 17, 2011, which killed more than a thousand residents and left hundreds more missing.

Through his legal counsel lawyer Francis U. Ku, Emano said he has coordinated with his department heads and with the city’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council to monitor the storm.

He said policemen and barangay officials of Barangays 7, 13 and 15 and other areas were deployed to advise residents of the possible flooding.

However, Emano said residents were not cooperative.

Instead, the residents said they were “used to floods” and did not evacuate.

Emano, though, admitted he did not anticipate the impact of “Sendong”, adding that “not even the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council or the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration nor the national and local governments.”

“I was not at fault nor contributed to the cause of the flooding. It was an act of God,” Emano said in his 32-page answer.

Because of this, Emano’s legal counsel is praying for the immediate dismissal of the complaint for “total lack of merit.”

However, lawyer James Judith, lead counsel of Save CDO Now Movement, just laughed off Emano’s answer.

Judith said the mayor’s answer to the complaint was “very thick but has no substance.”

“I just read the highlight of his answer. As usual, politically motivated daw,” he said.

Earlier, Malacañang ordered Emano to answer the complaint within 15 days and furnish the complainants with a copy.

Save CDO Now Movement has been doing signature campaign for a recall election in Cagayan de Oro. (Annabelle L. Ricalde)