A GROUP of concerned citizens on Wednesday, June 12, 2019 have initiated a signature campaign against Cagayan de Oro City Councilor Zaldy Ocon in a bid to remove him from his elective office and be “banned” from the city.
Dubbed as “Remove Ocon Movement,” the group wants to get 50,000 signatures to “send a message that the city has had enough of Ocon's bad behavior.”
The number of signatures is said to be a minimum requirement for a recall petition under Republic Act No. 7160 or the Local Government Code of the Philippines.
A recall can be initiated by a petition of at least 25 percent of the registered voters in the local government unit (LGU) concerned.
An official could only be subjected to a recall only once during one's term of office, and from one year after the official took office, up to one year before the next regularly scheduled election.
Tess Padla, the group's spokesperson said 12 persons started the campaign and eventually decided to create the movement. She said the group is composed of ordinary residents in the city.
“Let the whole populace of Cagayan de Oro gang up on him para dili na bitaw mapadayon iyang abuso nga ngil-ad,” she said.
The signature campaign is held in the Press Freedom Monument and will run until June 30.
After the signature campaign, the group intends to make a case and file it to the Office of the Ombudsman or bring the matter to President Rodrigo Duterte.
“Our goal is to have him removed from Cagayan de Oro or bring the attention of the President nga mao na nga klase ang ginatawag nato nga city dad, nga moabuso sa dili lang senior citizen, but also a PWD (person with disability) and an icon also,” Padla said referring to former mayor Reuben Canoy.
“If he can do this towards somebody who is respected how much more kadtong mga ordinaryong pobre. So this is his time to go,” she added.
Padla urged Kagay-anons to visit the Press Freedom Monument to sign the petition.
“Kung wa mo niangay sa atong usa ka legislator nga abusado man diay sa law, moanhi lang mo diri sa Freedom Park. He is a lawmaker yet he is a law breaker,” she added.
It can be remembered that on May 7, Ocon had a heated argument with Canoy. Ocon already apologized but the former mayor's daughter said his apology came off rather self-serving.