Castañares leaves standoff to bosses

By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent

THE regional director of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) yesterday said it has asked his superiors in Manila to decide on what to do with the standoff at city hall.

Nilo Castañares, DILG director for northern Mindanao, said this even as embattled Mayor Oscar Moreno called on the interior department to act on the political crisis gripping city hall.

DILG-installed Mayor Caesar Ian Acenas has opted to hold on despite a 60-day temporary restraining order (TRO) secured by Moreno from the Court of Appeals (CA) on Friday. His lawyers said there was nothing to restrain because Acenas already assumed as mayor on Thursday night.

Castañares said he received documents sent by Moreno and Acenas, and he had these forwarded to the DILG central office in Manila.

He said he also sent copies of the TRO issued by the CA to the DILG central office and the ombudsman.

Castañares said the city hall standoff could no longer be resolved by the regional office of the DILG.

He said the DILG central office has asked the ombudsman for advise on what to do in view of the TRO.

“Maghulat lang ta whatever order from DILG Manila sa pagesolve niini nga standoff kay dili kini namo ma-resolve dinhi sa among level,” Castañares said.

Moreno called on the DILG to “uphold the rule of law” during a news conference at city hall yesterday.

“It is very important and imperative, and  critically urgent  that the city government  of Cagayan de Oro is  restored back to normal   situation immediately,” said Moreno, adding that public interest is at stake.

“It’s unfortunate, certainly the standoff  would hamper the delivery of basic services,” Moreno said.

“The rule of law is vey clear, must reign supreme, and must be upheld inspite of what may appear to be  a political nuances or political  implications or even political  repercussions,” Moreno said.

He said the CA “has clearly spoken” through its TRO by “enjoining the public respondent DILG, its officers and agents and all persons acting under them, from enforcing and implementing and effecting its decision…”

Acenas’s lawyer Francis Ku said the TRO no longer applies in this because because Moreno’s vice mayor already assumed the mayoral post by way of automatic succession.

Moreno’s lawyers however said the order to dismiss the embattled mayor was not served to the local chief executive on Thursday, and therefore, Acenas could not legally take over because there was no vacancy.