Thursday, October 02, 2008 Lawyer: Unfair to tag Rapiz as ‘persona non grata’ By Jay Dooma Balnig
LAWYER Tranquilino Gale, legal counsel of embattled Chief Inspector Leroy Rapiz said that declaring his client as a "persona non-grata" is very unfair.
This after the Iloilo Provincial Board’s (PB) Committee on Public Order and Safety came out with their committee report recommending Rapiz be declared as a “persona non grata” and for the PNP to dismiss or transfer him to another post.
The committee chaired by Board Member Oscar “Richard” Garin Jr. came out with the said recommendation in connection to Board Member Jeneda Salcedo’s previously delivered privilege speech, lambasting Rapiz for his harassing activities in Northern Iloilo.
Gale also defended his client in its failure to comply with the PB’s request to attend a series of committee hearings concerning the matter due to conflicting schedules.
It should be known that Rapiz was earlier involved in a harassment incident where he was accused of harassing former Sara mayor Nepthsli Salcedo Sr., Mayor Nepthali Salcedo Jr., and several individuals in the Sara Transport Terminal, in the guise of a checkpoint.
