Vanguard
8
Dec. 12 - 17, 2016
Albuera dad berates scribe Widow to replace slain dad
Albuera, Leyte - After reading
the news item about the dismissal
order from office by the Ombudsman, Albuera SB Secretary. Wilfredo
F. Andrade berated this reporter for
writing “erroneous news” about their
dismissal.
He said they did not attend the
last Philippine Councilors League
conference in Davao last year, adding that it was only former councilor Sergio Batistis who represented
them, getting certificates of attendances and official receipts without
their knowledge. They did not have
enough funds to attend that conference, Andrade said.
He said that was the modus of
Batistis since the previous two PCL
meetings for which he was being
placed under surveillance by the
PCL, until he was caught in an entrapment operations.
While Andrade said the case
against them was politically motivated, it was actually filed with
the Ombudsman by the late Alfredo Bucabuca, an ally of the
former Albuera mayor Ramon
“Juny” de la Cerna Jr. Bucabuca
was later ambushed by a cousin of
Batistis, one of the political killings that happened in the election
season early this year. Besides
Bucabuca, two other close allies
of de la Cerna were also killed by
hired killers identified with the
group of the late mayor Rolando
Espinosa.
Despite the killings and the
fear they caused, the case with
the Ombudsman against Batistis
and his fellow councilors prospered.
On April 4, 2016, the Ombudsman found the respondents admin-
istratively liable for grave misconduct, thus dismissing them from
service.
On July 14, 2016, the respondents filed a motion for reconsideration. They said they had no knowledge about what Batistis had done
in the PCL meeting, such as selling fake ORs and defrauding CAs
as they “entrusted the payment of
registration fees” to him – the argument the Andrade raised with this
reporter.
The accused said Batistis “admitted” his sole liability and that
they were “never” implicated to
those “fraudulent scheme.” but this
petition denied by the Ombudsman
on September 14, 2016. Andrade
said they were dismayed over the
dismissal order because the Ombudsman did not give them time
to present their side at the witness
stand.
The group has elevated the
case to the Court of Appeals, but
so far no ward has come out of that
court.
The September 14 decision of
the Ombudsman dismissed Councilors Nelson D. Pepito Sr., and
Atanacio M. Barte, and Sangguniang Bayan Sec. Wilfredo F. Andrade, former vice mayor Norman
S. Mesina, former councilors Sergio
A. Batistis Jr., Rodanimod C. Cayanong, Arcelito B. Velarde, Antonio
T. Salinas, Salvio A. Cantiga, Catalina L. Tolero, and Buen Cornelius
G. Zaldivar.
Andrade was formally appointed
as SB secretary 12 years ago. Other
dismissed town officials who are still
holding office are Councilors Atanacio M. Barte, and Nelson D. Pepito
Sr.#
The Vanguard
Communications and Publishing
Corporation
accepts all kinds of printing jobs
•
•
•
•
•
School papers
Magazines
Annual publications
Annual Reports
Souvenir programs
•
•
•
•
•
Newsletters
Stickers
Calendars
Posters
Tarpaulins
Brgy. 95, Diversion Road, Caibaan
Tacloban City
Tel. (053) 888 -0947
Albuera, Leyte - Nelda Jabon, the widow of murdered councilman Vicente Jabon, will be replacing her husband as member of the town council,
said Mayor Rosa Meneses in an interview by The Weekly Vanguard in her
office last week.
The mayor said she has already officially endorsed the required documents for this move to the office of the Leyte governor, with a party nomination certificate from their Aksyon Demokratiko national president Robbi
Pierre Roco.
Meneses said the late Jabon was her party mate and that the replacement needs the party nomination. She cited a provision in the Local Government Code about who “shall serve the vacant seat.” She said they went
to Manila to talk to the Aksyon president. Now, they are waiting for an
action from the governor’s office.
The mayor hopes the replacement happens before Christmas as a “gift”
for the widow Nilda. Meneses who was elected as vice mayor also replaced
the late mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr.
To recall, Jabon was murdered by two men riding a motorcycle in the
morning on May 31, 22 days after last elections, near Brgy. Doña Maria
Hall, this town. He suffered seven fatal multiple gunshot wounds on parts
of his body.
“Gipusil patay akong bana dinhi pila lang kadupa gikan sa barangay
hall namo. Nagpintal sila nianang hall ug nagsugba-sugba’g isda diin kalit
lang giduol sa usa ka tawo nga nagsakay og motorcycle kinsa maoy nagpusil kaniya. Samtang ang usa ka tawo nagpabilin d