Complainants to bring dismissed case vs Emano to DOJ

COMPLAINANTS of the case for violation of a city ordinance filed against local officials would elevate their complaints to the Department of Justice (DOJ) after the city prosecutor’s office dismissed it last March 14.

The case stemmed from the reported suspension of Mayor Vicente Emano on January 6 that caused ‘panic and hysteria’ among his political supporters due to false information dissemination allegedly orchestrated by Emano, vice mayor Cesar Ian Acenas, some city council members, former city administrator Leon Gan and others.

Barangay Gusa councilman Enrico Salcedo said he and the other barangay officials were not happy with the dismissal of their complaints claiming the fiscal did not study the complaints further.

“Diskuntento mi sa rason sa pag-dismiss. Klaro kaayo nga bias, mao nga i-appeal namo ni sa DOJ karong Lunes siguro aron mahatagan og insakto nga aksyon,” Salcedo told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro in an interview Wednesday.

But city prosecutor Fidel Macauyag said that prosecutor Ansari Lalia dismissed the complaint since it was filed beyond the prescriptive period. Violation of city ordinances should be filed within two months.

He said Emano’s supporters gathered in front of the City Hall on January 6 until 13 this year to bar reported suspension of the mayor and set up tents for shelter. But the complainants only filed their complaints on March 7.

“Hindi lang ‘yan, it should be the police who must determine kung may panic at hysteria at sila ang unang mag-file ng complaint for violation of the city ordinance and not the private individual na may color of political biases,” Macauyag added.

With this, he appealed to everyone to spare the city prosecutor’s office from politics.

Macauyag said they will not allow the mayor or any politicians to influence the office of the city prosecutor.

Other complainants include former city councilors Zaldy Ocon, Teodulfo Lao, and incumbent city councilor Roger Abaday.

The supposed suspension order against Emano and other local official stemmed from the complaint filed by businessman James Giam over a breach of contract that the City Government has allegedly committed involving his private property in Gusa.

Civil society groups and some of Emano’s political enemies have accused the mayor of gross dereliction of duty, among many others, that resulted to the deaths of hundreds of Kagay-anons and loss of millions worth of properties when Typhoon Sendong struck the city in December 2011.

The suspension order did not materialize as Emano’s supporters from different barangays staged a picket outside city hall for several days to oppose the order allegedly issued by President Benigno Aquino III through Interior secretary Mar Roxas. (Annabelle L. Ricalde)