By NITZ ARANCON,
Correspondent
THE Provincial Prosecutor’s Office, here, has trashed the illegal conversion case slapped by Misamis Oriental Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer Nestoria Shirley Arquiza against Villanueva town mayor Julio Uy and other officials.
In a five-page document, prosecutor officer-in-charge Chuchi Alvarez-Aziz said she dismissed the complaint for lack of evidence. The document was signed and ordered on Feb. 18, this year.
Along with Uy, Villanueva town vice mayor Edwin Dagasuhan and municipal officers: Wilhemina Tobias, Juliet Aton, Juan Tagam, Norman Ricacho, Leoncio Abejo, Diosdado Balhon, Paquito Mortola, Enrique Zayas, Romeo Bantug, Celso Casiño, Valeriana Ricacho, Leneo Salvana, and Consorcia Eduave can also heave a sigh of relief because of the dismissal of the complaint.
“Foregoing premises considered, the above-entitled case is dismissed without prejudice, for lack of sufficient evidence,” Alvarez-Aziz told the Gold Star Daily.
Alvarez-Aziz added that Arquiza’s allegations –– of converting rice land into commercial area outside of the town’s urban area –– were untrue.
“In effect there also lies a question as to whether the conversion or change in the nature of lands such as the development of the municipal building of Villanueva Misamis Oriental, is outside an urban area,” said Alvarez-Aziz.
Arquiza filed the complaint against Uy and the other town officials because when the town officials converted a 3.3-hectare rice land into a commercial area in Barangay Looc, Villanueva, they violated Section 73 of Republic Act 6657 or the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law of 1988.
The agrarian reform officer alleged that on September 2013, Uy and the other officials colluded to fence the 3.3-hectare irrigated rice land which was supposed to be covered under Carp Law.
She further alleged that Uy reclaimed the rice paddies by dumping earth above it and made it the site for the construction of a municipal building.
On May 24, 2014, Arquiza said DAR regional director Felix Aguhob issued a cease and desist order and even ordered Uy to stop the construction of the municipal building.
However, Alvarez-Aziz dismissed the complaint because Aguhob issued contradicting orders.
On Dec. 22, 2014, Aguhob approved Uy’s application for exemption on the 3.3-hectare rice land.
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