Moreno’s lawyers say Binay case helped boost TRO plea

By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent

SOMETIMES, help comes from the most unlikely quarters.

Embattled Mayor Oscar Moreno’s lawyer Bryan Dale Mordeno disclosed to the Gold Star Daily over the weekend that they heaved a sigh of relief when the Supreme Court declared the second paragraph of Section 14 of Republic Act 6770  as unconstitutional.

The High Tribunal’s decision gave the Court of Appeals the power to review cases decided by the Office of the Ombudsman, and to grant a reprieve to prevent mootness of a pending case. The SC’s decision overturned the ombudsman’s ruling on the graft case against Makati Mayor Erwin Binay on Tuesday. The decision overturned the ombudsman’s dismissal order against Binay.

Binay’s father, Vice President Jejomar Binay, is the standard bearer of the United Nationalist People’s Coalition (UNA). The political party is an ally of the Padayon Pilipino which is seeking to evict Moreno from city hall.

When the ombudsman’s dismissal order against Moreno came out, Mordeno said they were grasping at straws on how to build a strong legal defense for Moreno.

“Maka-ingon gyud ko nga  blessing in disguise gyud ning bag-ong mando sa Supreme Court sa kaso ni Mayor Binay kay gitogotan sa higher court ang Court of Appeals nga mahimo nang ma-TRO ang mga decision sa imbudsman,”  said Mordeno.

He said they then used the jurisprudence to file a petition for a TRO for Moreno’s case two days after the High Tribunal ruled on Binay’s case.

“Sa sinugdanan, gakantiyawan na kami sa pareho namong mga abogado kay  sayod man sila  nga  dili man  gyud unta ma-TRO ang mando sa ombudsman. Pero sa dihang migawas ang bag-ong mando sa Supreme Court, nakaginhawa kami sa pag-file sa petition for TRO sa Court of Appeals,” Mordeno said.