Carrasco warns: Ian could be charged with usurpation

By Nitz Arancon

A LAWYER and candidate for congresswoman here yesterday warned that Caesar Ian Acenas could be charged with usurpation of authority unless he stepped aside.

Acenas has asserted that he has assumed as mayor after the interior department served the ombudsman’s dismissal order at city hall on Thursday.

“What the Court of Appeals restrained was the dismissal order of the Office of the Ombudsman to Mayor Oscar Moreno. The TRO (temporary restraining order) was not for the order of the Ombudsman to the DILG (Department of Interior and Local Government) to serve its order to Moreno,” said lawyer Evangeline Carrasco who has filed her certificate of candidacy for congresswoman in the 2nd District.

Carrasco said it was the reason why the CA issued a TRO in favor of Moreno because the DILG did not serve the ombudsman’s dismissal order properly.

She argued that there was no vacuum of leadership at city hall since Thursday.

“Ang bala-od nagsulti nga kon  dunay substituted service sa order,  kinahanglan ang DILG maghimo siyag affidavit of service, ug mo-ingon siya nga ‘I served personally the order  but the person refused to sign, and that is why I made a substituted service by putting it in conspicuous places,’” said Carrasco.

Moreno said was in his office the whole time and yet no one from the DILG served the order to him.

“Dili man  mahimong molingkod sa pagka mayor si Acenas kay wala man mabakante ang position sa mayor kay ang decision sa ombudsman sa pag-dismiss ni Moreno gi-restrain man sa Court of Appeals. So kon mamogos si Acenas, mahimong mag-atobang siya sa kasong usurpation of authority,” Carrasco said. (nitz arancon)