While saying any further discussion on her allegation, he illegally collected amounts from stallholders during the recent Panagbenga is pointless, "considering that (she) miserably failed to prove them, the only matter left (for them) to discuss is (her) public apology, which must be forthcoming, since it is the honorable thing to do considering (her) status as a public official."
In Domogen's reply to Rondez's letter dated March 11, supposedly answering his earlier letter dated March 4, he claimed from the attached documents to her reply, "I wonder if you read the contents of my letter." A copy of his reply was only furnished Sun.Star at 5 p.m. Wednesday.
"I was expecting your office to provide me with the affidavits, which you claim would bolster the allegations which you declared during the regular session of the City Council last March 3, that I collected amounts of P10,500 from some members of the Baguio Boys Club in connection with the Panagbenga 2008. Clearly, the documents you attached to your reply have no connection whatsoever (with) the allegations which you earlier declared," he pointed out.
Domogen said the affidavits which the councilor offered to produce and present are the bases upon which her accusation against him was founded.
He said it is quite evident Rondez failed to produce these affidavits she spoke of, which leads him to the conclusion there are no affidavits at all in the first place.
"From this I can therefore logically infer that what you have stated on record during the regular session of the City Council last March 3 was not the truth. In fact, I am sure that what you accuse me of is a complete and total lie since I have never collected any amount from any member of the Baguio Boys Club," he continued.
Considering these, Domogen said, he wonders if there was a deliberate intent on the councilor's part to mislead and misinform her fellow councilors, as well as the public, on matters relative to the Association of Barangay Council's request for the conduct of a fund-raising activity in connection with Panagbenga 2008.
"Using the HRAB (Hotel and Restaurant Association of Baguio) and their totally unrelated documents to perhaps support your allegations is simply an act of desperation on your part, considering that the documents presented to the City Council do not have any direct connection with the assertions you have made against me," he said.
"By fabricating lies against me and subsequently using it in public to attempt to destroy my reputation, you have inadvertently placed yourself, your position and your integrity under a cloud of doubt. By making untruthful and deceitful statements in public, you only have yourself to blame for the perception that the City Council has a councilor with questionable integrity," he stressed.
On the other hand, Domogen said he is "glad and quite relieved" to receive the reply of Rondez.
He explained that Rondez's failure to produce the mentioned affidavits to reinforce and support her "malicious" imputation of an alleged irregularity against him is the very instrument that has served to vindicate him.
"I do not even have to proffer and insist on my innocence on the matter since, due to your inability to present these documents of which you speak of, you yourself have done if for me," Domogen added.
But in a phone interview last night, Rondez said she attached a document to her letter to Domogen.
"If he (Domogen) feels that he was slighted by what I said, he can always sue me. The court is the proper venue to ventilate his claim because it is there where the truth will be known," she said.
