Tuesday, October 07, 2008 Taglimao folk cry foul over 'political vendetta' By Annabelle L. Ricalde
THE Cagayan de Oro City Prosecutor’s Office assured several residents from Barangay Taglimao Sunday that they would be impartial on the cases lodged against them by the husband of their village chairwoman.
Accompanied by their parish priest, the residents trooped to the office of City Prosecutor Fidel Macauyag and expressed concerns on the different cases filed against them by a certain William Guillane, the husband of barangay chairwoman Jocelyn Guillane.
Of the 13 residents, five are facing oral defamation, while others are charged different cases ranging from grave threats and physical injury. The cases are filed in different branches.
Barangay Taglimao has been rocked with politics-related violence. Two related political clans -— the Guillanes and Obsiomas -— are being accused by their constituents of despotic rule.
During the 2007 elections, the Guillanes came to spotlight after neighbors accused William of issuing threats if they don’t vote for his wife. William denied this in several media interviews.
Even the barangay’s priest, Fr. Rene Soldevilla, was not allegedly spared. The priest has a pending case against one of the clan’s scions, former barangay chairman Ruben Obsioma, for maltreatment, mauling and harassment.
Obsioma, father of the incumbent barangay chairwoman, now serves as a barangay councilor. He has pending cases at the Ombudsman after he allegedly disbanded a peaceful assembly and maltreated a child.
Romero Dalayat, a resident who was charged of oral defamation, said he was not interested in filing countercharges against Guillane. He said he simply wanted the case dismissed.
The cases filed against him and other barangay residents are politically motivated, Dalayat claimed.
The Guillanes and Obsiomas, he said, are harassing them because they are identified with the rival political camp.
For his part, Prosecutor Macauyag assured the respondents that “no one can influence” the City Prosecutor's Office.
He also denied the alleged claim of William Guillane that they are friends, saying he has never even met the latter.
