Tuesday, July 03, 2007 Soc spends 1st day dealing with criticisms
WHILE most local chief executives reported to their first day of work without major hitches, Talisay City Mayor Socrates Fernandez assumed his second term of office fending off allegations of having an invalid marriage and meddling with police work.
The allegation of having irregular marriage prompted Fernandez to secure an official copy of his marriage contract from the National Statistics Office (NSO) yesterday.
Geoffrey Hamzah Broñola of radio dyRF questioned the validity of the mayor’s marriage contract because it bore no registry number from the Civil Registry Office of Cebu City.
Broñola, who took over the regular morning program of dyRF anchorman Ike Durano II last Saturday, also accused the mayor of tampering with the document.
The radioman noted that Fernandez printed and signed his name on the personal copy of his marriage contract certifying that it was an original photocopied document.
The issue on the mayor’s marriage arose because of the absence of his wife, Jovita Saw-Fernandez, from the oath-taking ceremony of newly elected Talisay officials last Saturday at City Hall.
Not interested
But Jovita, in the same radio interview, said it is “not her cup of tea” to attend social activities related to her husband’s work.
Often, Fernandez invites her to attend City Hall affairs but she would always refuse, she said.
“I’m a homebody even before we got married,” she added.
An office staff member of Fernandez furnished dyRF with a copy of their marriage contract to prove that the couple has been legally married for years.
There, it was found that it bore no registry number, raising speculations that their marriage was invalid or unregistered.
But Fernandez, in an interview, said the matter has already been settled with the issuance of his marriage contract from the NSO.
The NSO-issued copy faxed to Sun.Star Cebu bore registry number 106-(a-74).
“My first day of work as a second-termer mayor has not been affected by these adverse comments. It’s a part of life that you get criticisms,” he said.
Sought for comment, lawyer Evangeline Abatayo, Cebu City civil registrar, said the absence of the registry number on a marriage contract does not invalidate a legal marriage.
If indeed the couple’s marriage has not been registered, they can file for registration at the local civil registrar’s office, she said.
Abatayo also explained that it’s the duty of the solemnizing officer to register the marriage of the newlywed within 15 days.
“It’s the primary responsibility of the solemnizing officer to cause the registration of marriage with the registrar’s office as provided for under the new Family Code,” she added.
Final say
Meanwhile, Fernandez also denied reports that he would meddle in the arrest of illegal fishers and card players by always asking the police to release them.
Fernandez said the final say is in the hands of the police chief, whether to consider the request.
The mayor said he only acceded to the request of the arrested persons’ relatives but only on minor cases, not on heinous crimes.
“The final decision lies with the police chief whether to grant the request or not,” he said. (GC)
