Inside Page | Fernan A. Gianan:

Suits and countersuits in local politics

At the rate criminal and administrative complaints are being filed by and between personalities in the current LGU administrations, the term of the current elective officials could turn out to be the most divisive ever.

According to sources, Azanza critic Atty. Oliver Rodulfo is facing a disbarment charge before the Supreme Court.

The complaint was reportedly filed by the governor’s favorite consultant, Atty. Ramil Joselito Tamayo, who himself is the object of accusations from two members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan regarding illegal exactions from quarry permittees.

In turn, Tamayo has filed a complaint before Malacanang seeking the removal of PBMs Giovanni Balmadrid and Arnel Turado, former Azanza campaigners and allies who blocked his appointment as Attorney IV.

There is an unconfirmed report that Gov. Patrick Alain Azanza is applying pressure on Vice Gov. Robert Fernandez and the PBMs to oust the two PBMs from their chairmanship of their key posts, particularly the appropriations, environment, and infrastructure committees.

The governor himself is the respondent in two administrative raps – one filed before the Civil Service Commission by a former EBMC employee whom he reassigned to the Provincial Health Office and another filed before the Ombudsman against him and Cong. Eulogio Rodriguez by Atty. Rodulfo for the alleged irregularities in the construction of several DPWH projects within the CatSU campus.

The Catanduanes representative, on the other hand, could face an ethics complaint before the House of Representatives for allegedly benefitting from the flood control projects awarded to E.R. Rodriguez Construction Corp. owned by his wife and Euro Construction registered in the name of one of his daughters.

And then there is the speculation that the Cua brothers, whose citizenship has been questioned by Azanza and his ally Mayor Sinforoso Sarmiento Jr., could soon join the fray by filing their own complaints against the governor and some provincial officials for alleged irregularities.

According to reports, another netizen critical of the new Capitol administration is also reportedly facing a court case courtesy of a provincial official.

There could be more legal wranglings in the next two years, based on what has happened in the last four months. Abangan!

*****

No one from the local media, particularly those who actually work in established print and broadcast entities, was invited to Camp Francisco Camacho to cover the command visit of Bicol PNP regional director PBGen. Nestor Babagay Jr.

Most of the island’s journalists were perplexed by the move of Catanduanes police provincial director PCol. Elmer Cereno, whose assumption of office last July received extensive coverage.

One or two media personalities surmise that the tacit ban on media coverage was requested not by the good general but by one or two of the honored guests during the occasion.

It is hoped the incident is just an anomaly and not a sign that the police will henceforth limit engagements with the media.

*****

THE BROTHER – IN -LAW. After suffering a heart attach and having quadruple bypass surgery, a man woke up to find himself in a Catholic hospital with nuns taking care of him. As they nursed him back to health, one of the nuns asked him if he had health insurance.

“No,” he replied, “No health insurance.”

“Do you have any money in the bank?” asked the nun.

“No. No money in the bank.”

The nun asked, “Do you have any relatives you could ask for help?”

The man replied, “I only have a spinster sister, who is a nun.”

At this the nun because irritated. “Nuns are not spinsters. Nuns are married to God!”

“OK, then,” said the man. “Send the bill to my brother-in-law.”

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