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Monday, October 03, 2005
City exec says mayor didn't wilt on probe
By Danilo V. Adorador III
CAGAYAN de Oro City officials who are respondents to the graft charges filed by lawyer Ed Tamondong in Ombudsman Manila are optimistic they will be exonerated and the cases against them eventually dismissed.
This is according to a city official, who attended the preliminary hearing on September 30 in Manila but asked not to be named, taking indication from the proceedings, which was held in a 30-seater hearing room.
The official, who is not a party to the charges, claimed that the initial proceedings favored Mayor Vicente Emano's camp, "as the complainant failed to answer a significant portion of the case."
"When asked whether it was illegal for anyone to buy lands and give the same to the poor, the prosecution answered no," the official said.
"The crux of the matter, basically, is whether the Piso-Piso program, which was the main highlight of the charges was abused by giving the lands to any favored political aides or relatives of the city officials. This did not happen, so the plaintiffs are confident that this case and other pent-up charges will be dismissed," the official added.
The Piso-Piso program is the City Government's land acquisition program in which purchased lands are apportioned to the city's indigents.
A team from the Commission On Audit (COA) head office in Manila, however, found the program disadvantage to the City Government.
On the witness stand, the official described Emano as "emotional" as the latter was cross-examined by Tamondong's lawyer, Rogelio "Butch" Bagabuyo.
Lawyers Tamondong and Bagabuyo are identified to the local opposition camp.
"The mayor defended the program and said that no official in the City Hall personally took advantage of it and that the latter would be willing to resign and accept responsibility if he directly or indirectly benefited from the controversial Piso-Piso," the official said.
The official also assailed Bagabuyo's claim that the mayor turned pale and quivered in the witness stand.
"That's nonsense. The mayor is not afraid of anything, especially in these concocted charges against him. Granting that he was seen shaking, then he was shaking indeed in rage because the opposition are replete with politicking," the official said.
Moreover, former Vice Mayor John Elizaga who was among the three called to the witness stand was non-committal in his answers on the charges.
"He merely repeated that he was only a presiding officer of that time and he could have not known everything," the official said.
COA's team leader who prepared the report on the Piso-Piso program also testified in the witness stand.
Meanwhile, Councilor Ian Nacaya who was also present during the proceedings, also said the "clarificatory conference" went to respondent-city officials.
"When the chairman of the panel said that some of the cobwebs have been removed, we understand that they have been clarified of the matter. That these charges are purely politics," Nacaya said.
Nacaya also confirmed that the mayor became emotional when he took the witness stand and debunked all allegations raised before the Ombudmans.
"He was, of course, emotional. And rightly so. How can they say that there were anomalies in the expropriation when it is only but proper to compensate the owners? Nacaya said citing another case in which the city was accused of "overpricing" when it paid some land owners affected by the city's road projects.
The other officials called to the Ombudmans include former city councilor now incumbent vice-mayor Michelle Tagarda, councilors Maryanne Enteria, Reynaldo Advincula, Alfonso Goking, Juan Sia, Ian Acenas, President Elipe, Edgar Cabanlas and lawyer Alvin Calingin along with former City Hall treasurer Zenaida Lago. Calingin was in the United States and was not able to attend the preliminary hearing.
A 90-day preventive suspension will be issued against Emano, et.al if the Ombudsman found a probable cause, Tamondong said.
(October 3, 2005 issue)
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