Guv tagged mastermind of all raps vs Oro mayor

ASIDE from the administrative case earlier filed by members of a group against Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Vicente Emano, the mayor and 12 City Councilors are facing yet another complaint.

Jacky Ching, president of New Wishing Star Trading Corp., recently filed charges for violation of the Anti-graft and Corrupt Practices Act against Emano and the 12 city councilors at the Ombudsman in Manila.

The 12 city officials are Vice Mayor Caesar Ian Acenas and City Councilors Adrian Barba, Simeon Licayan, Dante Pajo, Alvin Calingin, Alden Bacal, Jose Pepe Abbu, Annie Daba, Ramon Tabor, President Elipe, Juan Sia and ex-officio member Dometillo Acenas Jr.

Ching, who won the bid to rent the second floor of the Carmen Public Market, decided to file a case when the City Government terminated his contract of lease allegedly for “some violations and inconsistencies.”

But City Councilor Alexander Dacer, a known supporter of Emano, said all these charges are just the handiwork of one man -- Misamis Oriental Governor Oscar Moreno.

Dacer said Moreno is the mastermind of all the cases filed against Emano.

“Moreno is so determined to look for loopholes against the mayor to make way for his ambition to win as mayor in the 2013 midterm election,” he said.

Dacer said a “very reliable source” informed him that Moreno was the one who encouraged Ching to file a case against Emano reportedly “to humiliate and taint” the mayor’s name.

“We can’t stop Moreno from doing what he wants as it is his right and his privilege to be part of the administration of President Benigno Aquino,” he said.

Dacer said he is expecting Moreno to deny all their allegations, citing the latter as a “very good liar and a manipulator behind the sweet face.”

“But our reliable source does not lie. Even other sources coming from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) could attest that Moreno requested the DPWH director to file a case against Emano,” he claimed.
He added that at a proper time, their sources “will come out in the open.”

“Perhaps, after the filing of candidacy, and will soon expose Moreno and his hidden agenda against Mayor Emano,” Dacer said.

On the other hand, Maricel Casiño-Rivera, head of the Provincial Press Office, said this is not Moreno’s cup of tea.

“That’s Emano’s style actually and he is afraid that other people will do to him what he does to others. Pathetic. It’s their typical squid tactics. Palooy-looy aron ingnon gidaug-daug. Immune na ang tawo ana nga style,” Rivera said.

Meanwhile, Councilor Barba said he welcomes the case filed by Ching “so the people will know who violated the contract.”

Councilor Sia, for his part, said he also welcomed the case.

“So we will have time to learn if we did the right thing in protecting government properties against those who take advantage like Ching,” he said. “As public officials tasked to be custodians of government properties, it is a good decision that we terminated the contract of Ching.”

Related to this, Emano’s legal counsel, Lawyer Francis Ku, said they are optimistic that the investigating committee of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) will consider their request to include the rainfall records from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) as evidence in the administrative case.

Ku said under Administrative Order 23 of DILG, it is a given right that the Investigating Officer may admit and give probative value to evidences as stated in Section I of Rule #8.

“We will submit our arguments through paper. We will include the investigation of Pagasa’s recorded rainfall,” he said.

Emano was accused of negligence and dereliction of duty by complainants Dr. Vincent Tero, Raul Ramon Roa, Celestino Ocio, Teodulfo Lao and Enrico Salcedo of Save CDO Now Movement for defiance of the orders of government agencies which, according to them, resulted in the “unparalleled number of deaths and destruction” brought by Typhoon Sendong in December 2011.

Lawyer Rannie Palisoc, DILG’s investigating officer, said after Monday’s hearing that both parties were ordered to submit a memorandum presenting their arguments and evidences.

“From their memorandum, the investigating committee will then promulgate the decision on the case,” Palisoc said.

But the complainants’ legal counsel, lawyer James Judith, said the inclusion of Pagasa’s rainfall document is only a delaying tactic.

Judith said they don’t see the relevance of Pagasa’s rainfall to the case.

“Why don’t they just secure it with Pagasa when that is a public document? Why do they have to make a motion or pray for a subpoena?” he said.

Judith added that such move is expected “of people who are grasping at straws of argument.” (Nicole J. Managbanag Abigail Chee Kee Malalis)