Guialani threatens to charge DILG execs over Nuñez case
Nitz Arancon2 min read
By NITZ ARANCONCorrespondent
WILLIAM Guialani is back.
The former Taglimao barangay chairman yesterday broke his months of silence as he threatened to bring interior department regional director Arnel Agabe and his assistant to the Office of the Ombudsman over what he said was their failure to serve a dismissal and disqualification order against Mayor Oscar Moreno in June.
Guialani said he was set on filing an administrative complaint against Agabe and Department of Interior and Local Government assistant regional director Nilo Castañares today.
The former barangay chairman is the same man who filed a case against Moreno in connection with city hall’s tax settlement with Ajinomoto Philippines that nearly cost the mayor his position shortly before the 2016 elections.
Guialani broke his silence the same time that another Moreno accuser, Antonio Nuñez, sharply criticized a Court of Appeals division here for issuing another temporary restraining order against the implementation of the ombudsman’s dismissal and disqualification orders against the mayor.
Guialani said he wanted Agabe and Castañares to answer why they did not quickly serve the ombudsman’s order against Moreno last month.
He claimed there was an order from acting Interior Secretary Catalino Cuy for the DILG regional office to serve the dismissal orders.
Guialani said Moreno and his former capitol subordinates received a copy of the CA’s TRO at around 11:52 am on June 28. The order temporarily stopped the implementation of the ombudsman’s Oct. 6, 2016 ruling.
Moreno’s group, including former provincial general services officer Elsie Lupoy, former provincial engineer, Rolando Pacuribot, former provincial budget officer Elmer Wabe, and administrative aide Leenar Tinagan, were found administratively guilty of grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, gross neglect of duty and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the public service in the first complaint filed by Nuñez.
They were accused of causing the capitol rental of heavy equipment without a public bidding when Moreno was governor.
Despite Secretary Cuy’s supposed directive, Guialani said Agabe and Castañares allegedly sat on the dismissal order.
“Nadawat nila ni Agabe ug Castañares ang order sa ombudsman gikan ni Secretary Cuy two days before na-issue ang TRO sa Court of Appeals in favor ni Moreno niadtong June 28. Pero nganong wala man dayon nila i-serve ang maong order? Tungod ba kay naghulat pa sila sa TRO?” Guialani asked rhetorically.
In the morning of June 28, Agabe told this paper that he was with Secretary Cuy and other officials in strife-torn Marawi City. He confirmed that Cuy brought with him a copy of the ombudsman’s dismissal order that day.
Agabe however said there was a process in serving such orders, and documents needed to be prepared beforehand.
But Guialani called Agabe’s explanation an “alibi.”
“Asa may dali i-serve, ang order of dismissal sa ombudsman nga na-a nay kopya da-an or ang TRO?” Guialani asked rhetorically.