AFTER his victory last week, Mayor Oscar Moreno’s legal team sets its eyes to dismiss the remaining cases that used the administrative cases as grounds of their complaints.
Lawyer Dale Mordeno, Moreno’s legal counsel said he is set to file manifestations and inform various offices where cases are filed against the mayor.
Mordeno said they have a pending appeal before the Commission on Audit (COA) that issued the notice of disallowance used as evidence against Moreno.
He said they will inform COA that the special audit was declared void already by the Court of Appeals (CA).
The mayor’s legal team will also inform the Commission on Election (Comelec) as well as the Office of the President where disqualification cases are lodged, that the basis of these cases filed against Moreno is also dismissed.
Mordeno added that the remaining 22 criminal cases against Moreno might be dismissed following the dismissal of the 24 administrative cases.
He said the CA ruling has “persuasive effect” to decisions of other courts.
Moreno and other former provincial government officials were faulted by the Office of the Ombudsman for renting heavy equipment without public bidding.
It can be remembered that the Ombudsman decisions (on various dates) found the petitioners guilty of serious dishonesty, grave misconduct, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.
But in a decision promulgated on May 15, the administrative cases were dismissed by the CA 12th Division, citing “no substantial evidence to support the conclusion that the petitioners are guilty of any of the charges against them.” (PJ Orias)