By NITZ ARANCON
and SHIELA MAE BUTLIG
Correspondents
THE man who filed a graft complaint against Misamis Oriental Gov. Yevgeny Vincente Emano and four other capitol officials has a long history of going against leaders of the Padayon Pilipino. He also once served as an aide in the office of Mayor Oscar Moreno in 2015.
Emano’s accuser, Ernesto Molina, hails from Talisayan, Misamis Oriental, and he was once a member of the Barangay 35 council here during the Magtajas administration in the ’90s.
When Emano’s late father Vicente first ran for mayor of the city in 1998, Molina served as one of the leaders in the unsuccessful mayoral campaign of the elder Emano’s rival, then-congressman Erasmo Damasing Jr..
In 2013, Molina supported the mayoral bid of then-governor Moreno. He said he has remained a Moreno supporter to this day.
Before he was given a “job order” work at city hall two years after Moreno’s election, Molina served as president of the Parents-Teachers’ Association of the City High School. He worked at city hall in 2015 as an executive aide under the mayor’s office.
Molina now has a small “piso-net” business and together with his nephews and other relatives are into small-time house repairs.
Molina said his Talisayan-based mother was the “original” supporter of Moreno who served as a congressman in the province’s 1st District and subsequently, as governor.
“Pagdagan ni Mayor Moreno sa 2013 pagka-mayor, gi-ingnan ko sa among mama nga akong suportahan si mayor dinhi sa Cagayan de Oro. Ma-o tong nahimo ko niyang leader dinhi sa Barangay 35,” Molina said.
In Oct. 16, Molina filed a complaint for graft, malversation of public funds, misconduct and dishonesty against Gov. Emano, provincial engineer Mario Batar, provincial accountant Marilou Rivera, provincial treasurer Roland Violon, and provincial budget officer Claudia Baliton before the Office of the Ombudsman.
It wasn’t the first time for Molina to complain against Emano. In 2017, he accused the governor and his brother-in-law President Elipe of graft and nepotism, a complaint the ombudsman dismissed over his failure to disprove the assertion that the Misamis Oriental Integrated Sports Complex, where Elipe was appointed general manager, is a private enterprise.
In his October complaint, Molina alleged that the capitol officials conspired in awarding a multi-purpose hall construction project in Jasaan town to a firm without public bidding. He alleged that the project was completed in 2017 a year ahead of a 2018 notice of public bidding posted on a government website.
Capitol spokesman Florito “Carlo” Dugaduga questioned Molina’s motive in filing the October complaint, adding that he was inclined to believe that Emano’s accuser is a “complainant-for-hire.”
“Mao na lang lugar na iyang gastuhan ug panahon ug kwarta? Burden gyud lugar na niya? Advocacy gyud lugar na niya nga manumbong? Unya, naa ba siya’y lain nga gisumbong?” Dugaduga asked rhetorically.
Dugaduga said capitol officials would answer the accusations in Molina’s complaint the moment they received a notice from the Office of the Ombudsman.
“They cannot comment kay wa pa man sila kadawat sa complaint. Ilang paabuton, and then they will answer in due time,” he said.
But Dugaduga noted that Molina has a record of filing complaints against the governor, his brother-in-law, and even the late mayor Vicente Emano.
“Kani siya nga complainant anad naman ni nga mupasaka og kaso gyud. Nagtoo man gani ko nga kini si Molina ‘complainant-for-hire,’” Dugaduga said.
He said he respects Molina’s right to complain but he questioned why the complainant was only keen on filing cases against capitol officials and why it appeared that Emano was being singled out.
“Naa ba siya’y lain nga gisumbong? Kay murag makita nato ang pattern man gud — Elipe, Bambi Emano, Dongkoy Emano. Kung personal gyud niya nga crusade for clean and honest governance, dapat iyang ikiha og apil si Oca (Mayor Moreno) ug uban opisyales sa city hall nga nagbuhat ug ilang kaugalingon nga korporasyon diha sulod sa city hall aron makahumog mga transaction diha sa city hall… Ilaras kana tanan sa mga tao sa gobyerno diha nga nakahimo og kahiwian.”
Dugaduga said he suspected that someone was behind Molina’s complaints.
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