ROGELIO Baquerfo plans to sue the town council of Tudela for insubordination.
After getting a copy of a letter that Department of Interior and Local Government Regional Director Pedro Noval sent to his opponent, Demetrio Granada, ordering the latter to cease and desist from functioning as mayor, Baquerfo said this proved that he was the rightful mayor of Tudela.
Earlier, he sued Granada for usurpation. Baquerfo was at the Cebu Provincial Police Office yesterday to show CPPO Director Carmelo Valmoria a copy of the letter. In his letter, Noval ordered Granada to vacate the mayor’s office.
“We urge you to vacate the office of the mayor of Tudela and to cease and desist from performing duties and functions of the said office until we receive advice from Judge Edito Enemecio on the implementation of this order,” Noval’s letter read. The letter was signed Tuesday.
Enemecio, in a Jan. 9 ruling of the Danao City Regional Trial Court, declared Granada winner of the May 2007 elections after a recount.
Baquerfo earlier filed for a special proceeding before the Commission on Elections (Comelec), wherein Commissioners Romeo Brawner and Moslemen Macarambon issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) that compelled Granada to wait for 60 more days before assuming office.
21 votes
When the 60-day restraining order lapsed, Granada presented a letter to the council last June 23 stating that he won the Tudela mayoral post by 21 votes and the council passed a resolution recognizing Granada as the town’s mayor.
The Camotes group of islands has been on full alert since June 22. The Special Reaction Unit of the CPPO and some officers from Poro and San Francisco Police Stations were augmented to the Tudela Police Station while an island supervisor was appointed there.
Valmoria said his men will “stick to the decision of the DILG” in carrying out their duties in the town.
He has not yet received a request for assistance from the DILG but said they were willing to provide assistance to any of the DILG representatives if requested. He stressed that their role in the conflict was to ensure peace and order.
Supporters from both camps gathered in front of the town hall but no violence has occurred.
Also last Wednesday, Granada and defeated candidate for vice mayor Levy Labayan, who is allied with Baquerfo, had a confrontation at the Tudela Police Station as Granada had wanted Labayan to turn over a municipal-owned garbage truck.
Layaban had argued that he only received orders from Baquerfo. (MEA)
