Ombudsman trashes Ching motion on Emano graft case

By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent

THE Office of the Ombudsman dismissed the motion of reconsideration filed by a Chinese-Filipino businessman against former mayor Vicente Emano and other officials in connection with the controversial lease of parts of Carmen market.

The complaint was filed by businessman Jacky Ching who, along with his Cagayan de Oro pointman and former Taglimao barangay chairman William Guialani, accused Emano and other officials of graft after they voided a controversial lease contract awarded to New Wishing Star Corp. and then awarded a new one to another firm.

The ombudsman earlier dismissed the graft complaint against Emano, Vice Mayor Caesar Ian Acenas, councilors President Elipe, Nadya Elipe,  Adrian Barba, Alden Bacal, Ramon Tabor, Annie Daba, Dante Pajo, and Dometilo Acenas;

Former councilors Juan Sia, Simeon Licayan,  Alvin Calingin,  and Jose Pepe Abbu, and Ricardo Brito, the owner of Unitop which is now leasing the Carmen market space.

Ching appealed the the case and asked the ombudsman to reverse the ruling.

But in a four-page resolution signed by graft investigator Quintin Perdido Jr., graft evaluator   Anacleto Marco, and Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales, stated that Ching presented no compelling reason why the dismissal of the complaint against Emano should be reversed.

“The complainant’s argument on the rescission of the contract and the construction of a police  office had  been sufficiently  discussed  in the assailed   joint  resolution. These arguments are not in the nature  of newly  discovered  evidence. Neither are they errors of law or irregularities committed prejudicial to complainant’s interest. In other words, there is no compelling reason to disturb the findings in the assailed joint resolution,” reads a portion of the ruling.

Ching filed the complaint in protest of the move of the Emano administration in rescinding the lease agreement between city hall and his firm due to alleged breach of contract.

The ruling on the motion for reconsideration was signed last year but a copy was only made available to the media yesterday by Emano’s lawyer Francis Ku. (nitz arancon)