SUPPORTERS of Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Oscar Moreno are once again camping out at the City Hall grounds after offering a mass Tuesday, June 27, with the looming of yet another dismissal order.
Lawyer Dale Mordeno, Moreno's legal counsel, said they are expecting the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to implement the dismissal order anytime this week.
Mordeno said they petitioned for a temporary restraining order (TRO) at the Court of Appeals (CA) on Thursday last week, and again filed on Tuesday morning, June 27, an urgent motion for the issuance of a TRO but these have yet to be acted upon.
Mordeno also said sources at the CA told him that some Justices inhibited from Moreno's case.
"We do not know as to the details of the case, like what branch is handling the case, but what we know so far and we gathered from reliable sources is that the raffling of our petition last Friday was not eventually assigned to a particular division because the Justices, whom I did not know, inhibited themselves from taking cognizance of our petition," he said.
"Justices inhibited because they are acquainted with Mayor Moreno, and we cannot help that because mayor is a public figure," Mordeno adds.
Marlon Tabac, village chair of barangay Gusa, said they are praying that the CA will grant the TRO and prevent the dismissal of Moreno.
"Mayor Moreno is a peace loving mayor, dili niya gusto ug samok (he does not like conflict) so instead we are offering a mass, kay siyempre kung naa kitay giatubang nga problema (if we are facing problems), particular na ang hulga nga (threat of) dismissal ni mayor, ang Ginoo ang atong dangpanan (God is our sanctuary)," he said.
"To detractors, I am inviting them to join us, sila Elipe, Bambi, Gan, silang tanan, aron mahatagan sad sila ug grasya basin diay mudaog sila sa sunod na election (I am inviting all of them, so they will also receive grace and they will win in the next election)," he added.
Tents were put up at the City Hall grounds, with supporters wearing Red and Black shirts which, Tabac said, is a symbol of the "people's struggle to achieve justice for Moreno."
On June 8, the Ombudsman ordered the dismissal of Moreno from service owing to the multiple charges of graft filed against him and seven others, for the lease of heavy equipment without conducting public bidding when he was still governor of Misamis Oriental.
The Ombudsman said Moreno, and members of the Bids and Committee Awards (BAC) namely Patirick Gabutina, Elsie Lopoy, Rolando Pacuribot, Divina Bade, Cancio Guibone, Leemar Tinagan, and Elmer Wabe are facing 6 counts of violation of Section 3 of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act or Republic Act 3019.
The Ombudsman also found him, along with the others, guilty of grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.
Moreno, meanwhile, during Monday's flag raising urged City Hall employees to "continue working as it will be business as usual in the city whatever happens."