Wednesday, March 12, 2008 Panagbenga execom ready to sue Domogen By Rimaliza Opiña
THE Hotels and Restaurants Association of Baguio (HRAB), organizer of Panagbenga Festival 2008, is poised to sue Malcolm Square barangay leader William Domogen for harassing and intimidating volunteers and an officer of the group during the weeklong Session Road-in-Bloom (SRB).
The Panagbenga executive committee members were at the City Council last Tuesday to answer allegations made by the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) the previous week.
The clarification also came in the heels of Domogen's demand for Councilor Perlita Chan-Rondez to issue a public apology for accusing him of collecting fees from those who held a trade fair at Malcolm Square without authority from either the Council or the HRAB.
In a statement read by HRAB chairman Anthony de Leon, Domogen was accused of humiliating, harassing, intimidating volunteers and an officer of the execom, collecting fees from a group of vendors and sabotaging the SRB by attempting to cut off electricity.
The other week, officials of the ABC led by the vice president Eva Marie Fianza, public relations officer Benjamin Macadangdang and another unnamed official cried foul for the HRAB's playing favorites when they were prevented from holding a trade fair, but the Baguio Boys Club (BBC) and Globe telecoms, a major sponsor of the Panagbenga, were allowed.
De Leon countered the BBC was permitted to set up stalls outside, not within the Square for free. Like regular paying lessees, the BCC was ordered to comply with guidelines of the HRAB.
The BBC was eventually ejected for adding two of the permitted six stalls and for subleasing these to vendors. The Public Order and Safety Division (POSD) dismantled the stalls.
"It was then that the lessees, probably out of anger and frustration uttered the statements that why should they be removed when they have already paid the Provincial Board P10,500 each," de Leon read from the statement, adding Imram Bañaga and a certain Rajid who allegedly uttered these statements.
Bañaga is the husband of one council of Malcolm Square.
Domogen claimed no harassment or intimidation could have taken place, as he never spoke to any of HRAB marshals.
On the allegation he prevented the tapping of electricity at Malcolm Square, Domogen said he merely inquired from HRAB personnel if they were allowed by the Benguet Electric Cooperative (Beneco) to do so. He said he acceded after the HRAB showed proof they were allowed by the Beneco.
"We will never shout at anyone. We are barangay officials, we do not act like children," Domogen said.
In a report attached to the HRAB statement, "Domogen and his cohorts" were accused of committing a series of these offenses, which even reached the Panagbenga secretariat office at the Baguio Convention Center.
With the gravity of allegations hurdled at him and some unnamed individuals, Domogen challenged the HRAB to formalize their allegations by submitting them under oath.
Macadangdang also challenged the HRAB to identify the "cohorts" mentioned in HRAB statement.
He said the ABC only went to the council to ask clarification on policies relative to the conduct of trade fairs, not to lambaste the HRAB.
To this, the HRAB is planning on filing civil, criminal and administrative complaints against the persons involved.
HRAB lawyer Abelardo Estrada said they have not set a timeline when a complaint will be filed but said the group would decide within the week.
During the council's session, de Leon also clarified the reported displacement of one applicant from Pampanga despite advance payment to reserve two stalls.
De Leon said this applicant was rejected after for failure to stick to guidelines.
"What may be perceived as favoritism in SRB, we call strict screening. We can never accommodate everyone who wishes to be part of the event if they fail to meet the basic requirements of the HRAB guidelines. Mere payment does not guarantee acceptance of application, had the applicants earnestly studies the guidelines, they have nothing to complain about," he said.
De Leon, meanwhile, took offense with the council's plan of investigating the execom.
"I lament the fact that even with our accomplishments we are even facing an investigation based on misleading statements of Mr. Domogen and his cohorts-instead of a little tap on the shoulder," he said.
Asked if the HRAB would still want to handle the 2009 edition of the Panagbenga, de Leon said this would be up to the City Government.
In the event they are chosen again, he said this would have to be discussed by HRAB officers.
