Monday, January 15, 2007 Suspended mayor to question dismissal in court
SUSPENDED Pasay Mayor Wenceslao Trinidad said Sunday he would appeal the recent decision of the Office of the Ombudsman dismissing him, Vice Mayor Antonio Calixto, and 10 other city officials before the higher courts.
At the same time, he vowed to make a political comeback and run for the May elections despite the decision of the anti-graft body as he blamed his political rivals for his predicament.
"Certainly, I will run in the upcoming elections. More than the fact that I still have one term left is my desire to submit to the will of the people if they believe these accusations against me," he said.
In the Office of the Ombudsman ruling, it dismissed Trinidad as a mayor and disqualified him from running for an elective post in the upcoming elections.
Calling the decision as a "midnight suspension", Trinidad questioned the haste of the Office of the Ombudsman issuing the resolution "even if they were not given the chance to question the accusation."
"This is plain political harassment. My enemies know they have no chance against me in a fair and honest election that's why they resort to such an ill-founded allegation," he said.
Trinidad belongs to the Partido ng Masang Pilipino [PMP], the party of former President Joseph Estrada, although he is not as vocal in condemning the Arroyo administration as compared to Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, another Metro Manila mayor allied with the opposition.
He said the Ombudsman ruling might have been influenced by political rivals. Although he did not name names, the suspended mayor was apparently referring to Pasay Representative Consolacion Dy and acting Pasay Mayor Alan Panaligan who is reportedly eyeing the mayoral and vice mayoral posts in the upcoming elections.
Trinidad said he is talking with his political leaders and his legal teams as to the next move but added he will lead a protest action at the Pasay City Hall Monday. He was optimistic that he will get legal redress even as he cited an opening in the decision which he said effectively vacated the earlier six-months suspension issued by the Office of the Ombudsman last year.
"There's a window here since with the recent order, it effectively dissolved my earlier suspension and this is I am discussing with my lawyers," he added.
Calixto, for his part, said he will file a motion for reconsideration even as he questioned the haste of the order.
Meanwhile, sources said Panaligan instituted tighter security measures in and around the City Hall for the alleged mass action to be organized by Trinidad's camp.
Trinidad, Calixto and 10 city councilors are facing investigation by the Office of the Ombudsman for their alleged involvement in a P464-million illegal garbage collection and disposal contract entered into by the City Government in 2004 and 2005. (AH/Sunnex)
