By NITZ ARANCON and SHIELA MAE BUTLIG
Correspondents
FORMER Taglimao barangay chairman William Guialani yesterday assailed the decision of the 22nd Division of the Court of Appeals (CA)–and the court itself for reversing the ruling of the Office of the Ombudsman that found Mayor Oscar Moreno and his treasurer liable for grave misconduct.
Guialani spoke ill of the magistrates, particularly Associate Justice Edgardo Camello who issued the Oct. 13 decision that was concurred by Associate Justices Oscar Badelles and Perpetua Atal-Paño.
Guialani said he was bent on exhausting all legal remedies in an effort to boot Moreno and city treasurer Glenn Bañez from city hall.
He said he would appeal the decision before the appellate court. If the CA does not reverse its own decision, he said he was prepared to bring his case all the way to the Supreme Court.
“But I will file a motion for reconsideration first,” he said.
“Dili makaangayon,” said Guialani of the CA’s Oct. 13 decision.
Guialani said that while the CA was correct in pointing out that Bañez has the power to assess taxes and determine if a company’s product is “essential” or “non-essential,” the city treasurer did not just make a tax assessment but actually entered into an agreement with Ajinomoto Philippines Inc. in violation of Section 132 of the Local Government Code.
“A contract needs authority through an ordinance,” said Guailani, pointing out that the city hall-Ajinomoto agreement was not given city council approval.
Guialani also questioned the CA’s assertion that the case had to be dismissed for “lack of merit.” He said Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales found merit in his case that she had Moreno and Bañez indicted before the Sandiganbayan.
He did not speak well of the associate justices on several occasions yesterday.
On Aug. 30, 2016, Guialani accused Associate Justice Camello of ignorance of law before the Supreme Court, and sought the magistrate’s inhibition from the case. He then asked on Sept. 5, 2016, that the case he filed be heard in Manila, and not the CA-Mindanao station, alleging that city hall was giving monthly honoraria to the judges.
“He (Camella) ruled on it without waiting for the decision of the SC,” Guialani said.
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