Monday, February 05, 2007
Vice guv's panel slams DILG
By Lory Ann B. Bilbao
LAWYER Cornelio Panes, legal counsel of Vice Governor Roberto Armada, hit the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) for making his client appear like a "movable puppet."
"They put you at the top then kill you when you just got there," Panes said, referring to the DILG's administration of Armada's oath as governor and four days later, reinstates him back as vice governor.
On January 15, when DILG Undersecretary Wencelito Andanar arrived in Iloilo, he carried with him a copy of the Ombudsman's decision to dismiss and perpetually disqualify from public office Iloilo Governor Niel Tupas Sr., and Board Members Domingo Oso Jr. and Cecilia Capadosa.
The decision was made December last year, three years after the local chapter of the People's Graftwatch Inc. filed two administrative cases for grave misconduct in 2003.
With haste, Andanar sworn in Armada as the governor and Senior Board Member Manny Gallar as vice governor. While Tupas, who stood with legal arguments, has not received yet the copy of the decision on that same day.
Tupas showed that he has only acquired the original copy of the decision on January 24, in a registered mail.
On January 17, Philippine National Police officials and personnel assaulted the Capitol for arresting Tupas and serving the dismissal.
Police Regional Office 6 director Wilfredo Dulay said they have orders from the DILG to implement the dismissal.
On the same day, a Temporary Restraining Order was send through fax to the governor's office.
Dulay said he was very grateful that no blood was shed during the assault where 65 members of the armed Regional Mobile Group from Negros Occidental stormed the Capitol and poked guns to civilians.
The said restraining order provided that status quo, or the state before the issues arrive, be maintained.
The DILG then on afternoon of January 19 sent a memorandum order to Armada to reassume vice governorship, though, the legal panel of Tupas has cited Section 60 of the Local Government Code, which lodged the power to dismiss duly elected officials to a proper court.
For this, they argued that Armada has never been a governor because his oath taking was caused by an "illegal order." The Ombudsman is only recommendatory and is not considered a proper tribunal.
Panes, in an interview with Aksyon Radyo Iloilo, said Armada and Gallar had no fault when they were given oath as governor and vice governor.
The same oath was effective and was not revocable even by the restraining order issued by the Court of Appeals on January 17 to Tupas. It was effective in the sense that the oath was not revoked by any authority even that same authority, which has ordered Armada to step down as vice governor.
"We do not mind the memorandum of the DILG, which demands for the reassumption into Vice Governor. What is that? Daw ginpatiyog lang kami, (We're being placed on a roller coaster ride)," Panes said.
Meanwhile, Armada denied securing leave forms from the office of the Provincial Board.
Armada remains headstrong with his belief that he is the newly installed governor.
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star General Santos. (February 3, 2007 issue)
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