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Thursday, June 08, 2006
Dads attend court hearing
All the Lapu-Lapu City councilors and barangay captains allied with Mayor Arturo Radaza showed up in court yesterday, wearing uniform T-shirts in gray and blue, to support the mayor’s fight for his political party’s presence in the City Council.
Because only Vice Mayor Norma Patalinjug and her son, Councilor Ramon Patalinjug, were present, they had to call off yesterday’s regular City Council session, which would have tackled the supplemental budget containing the City Government employees’ P1,000 increase in monthly allowances starting January this year.
All the Radaza-allied councilors were in court to listen to the proceedings, while opposition Councilor Eugene Espedido stood as counsel for Vice Mayor Patalinjug.
The vice mayor was among those impleaded in the injunction case related to the appointment of lawyer Francisco Senerpida, as the replacement for the late councilor Alley Berdin who died of cancer last May.
Radaza, in behalf of the Alayon party, has questioned the appointment of Senerpida, who is a member of Lakas-CMD, because he did not get a nomination from their party.
Impleaded as respondents were Senerpida, Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, Mandaue City Mayor Thadeo Ouano and Vice Mayor Patalinjug.
The court is racing against time in resolving the injunction case, since the 20-day temporary restraining order (TRO) issued against the respondents will expire on Tuesday.
To expedite the proceedings, the court directed the parties to file their position papers, along with their evidence and supporting affidavits, by Friday.
After that, the case will be deemed submitted for resolution.
If the injunction is denied or no injunction is issued by then, Senerpida will most likely join the council’s session next Wednesday.
A brief argument ensued between lawyers Richard Sison and Pablo John Garcia, counsels for Radaza and Senerpida, respectively, after Sison claimed that the respondents can longer present evidence because they failed to file an answer to the petition for injunction.
He said the respondents did not file the necessary pleadings to deny the allegations in their petition, and that what were filed were motions to dismiss.
But Pablo John maintained that there is no rule requiring the filing of an opposition to an injunction case, which is a provisional remedy.
While the case was being heard in court yesterday afternoon, supporters of Berdin’s wife, former Basak barangay councilor Lolita Berdin, were also rallying outside the front gate of the Palace of Justice, bearing different placards.
They called for Lolita’s appointment as replacement for her deceased husband and booed Senerpida and the other respondents’ lawyers who passed by them.
The Radaza-allied city councilors wore gray T-shirts, while the barangay captains and other officials wore the blue T-shirts, both bearing the words “I’m one with Radaza for Lolit Berdin.”
“Supak ang katawhan nga si Titing (Senerpida) ang ipuli (The people don’t want Senerpida as Councilor Berdin’s replacement,” said Ireneo Pelone, leader of the rallyists.
Pablo John, for his part, questioned the rallyists’ intention.
“What’s their purpose in holding a rally in court? Is it to influence the court? They should rally at the Capitol if what they want is for Governor Garcia to appoint Lolit,” Pablo John told Sun.Star Cebu after yesterday’s hearing.
A Supreme Court administrative order limits rallyists and protesters to stay at least 200 meters from any building that houses at least one courtroom.
Still, Pablo John said he no longer raised this matter with the court in order not to further “muddle” the issue.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (June 8, 2006 issue)
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