City mayor suspects Cong. Relampagos as having worked for his Sandigan indictment

If City Mayor Dan Neri Lim’s sharp reaction to his indictment to the Sandiganbayan as the handiwork of Cong. Rene Relampagos, then there’s no mistaking that the first district congressional derby is heating up. The incumbent Cong. Relampagos will tangle for the first district congressional combat against the challenger Lim in a do-or-die finish of two bitter political enemies. Call it a temporary setback on the part of the respondent or major victory for the complainants, the outspoken city mayor was haled before the Sandiganbayan after the Ombudsman-Visayas found probable cause for one count of violation of Section 3(e) of R.A. 3019, as amended, otherwise known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. “In whatever forum or venue, I can face my accusers and I will finish the fight they started till the end.”

This was how Tagbilaran City Mayor Dan Lim greeted the news that the complaint filed by radio anchor Jeremias Pabe of DyRD, together with technician Gerry Cajes before the anti-graft court. The case, first filed at the Ombudsman Visayas, stemmed from the disconnection of electric power lines from the houses of Pabe and Cajes, who are both living at the Capitol Valley socialized housing project, in this city, for low –salaried government employees. Pabe and Cajes alleged that the disconnection was instigated by Mayor Lim citing as reason, their affiliation with radio station DyRD that has been critical to the mayor since his second term. Despite the conflict, Lim won his third and last term, breaking the impression that the power of media can make or unmake a politician.

Mayor Lim stood as guarantor in the power connection application of Pabe and Cajes with the Bohol Light Company Inc., the company that provides the electric supply at the housing site. The guaranty provided to Pabe was revoked by the city mayor upon realizing that the person was not supposed to be a beneficiary of such socialized housing site. Pabe receives a sizable salary as barangay councilman of Cogon, one of the biggest districts in the city, and is also engaged in the lucrative business of money lending. “Ang tinood nga kampeon dili modagan sa bisan unsa mang hagit (a true champion never runs from any challenge),” the city mayor declared in his radio program. The city mayor admitted that having a case at the Sandigabayan bothers a lot. He also expressed surprise why the person, who allegedly ordered the cutting of electric power line on the houses of Pabe and Cajes, though it was publicly identified, was not included in the case that indicted him. Mayor Lim said he knows who are these businessmen and politicians that are backing up Pabe.

BLAMES RELAMPAGOS

Making no pretentions of whoever was behind his indictment, Mayor Lim blasted Cong. Relampagos as having a hand in his present predicament. The mayor believes that the first district lawmaker was in familiar territory as chair of the committee on human rights in Congress. While the case filed by the two DYRD personnel was pending at the Ombudsman, a parallel complaint was lodged at the Commission on Human Rights. “In due time, the same people will answer cases that the public will be filing against them. It will be soon,” the city mayor said.

OTHER RESPONDENTS

Other than Mayor Lim, the original complaint also named four other persons as respondents. Teodoro Estoque, a building official of the city government, was named respondent along with three others who are officials of the Bohol Light Company. They were identified as Engr. Eulogio Signe, BLCI general manager; Engr. Rey Grapa, operations manager; and Rotelio Lamdagan, Jr., consumer services supervisor. But in the resolution of the case as approved by acting Ombudsman Orlando Casimiro, all four respondents including the building official , were found to have no culpability in the criminal complaint. According to Portia Pacquiao-Suson, graft investigation and prosecution officer II, respondent Estoque was charged mainly due to his act of informing BLCI of the withdrawal of the warranty and recommending the disconnection of the electric service. However, he was merely acting pursuant to the revocation of the temporary permit. Since BLCI required the warranty before they could install or continue with the electricity services, the operative act was the withdrawal by the respondent mayor of the warranty.