Business as usual for Panglao mayor closed resort, radio pal

GUESS what Panglao Mayor Dumaluan did to his own radio anchor who was accused of extortion? And guess again what the controversial mayor did to the Cease and Desist Order imposed on his Dumaluan Beach Resort? Well, they both have the same answer: business as usual. While both enemies and friends of Mayor Dumaluan were expecting that he would institute drastic measures to save him from further embarrassment as a result of the alleged extortion, what he did was coddle the suspect identified as Leonardo “Lolong” Andoy as if nothing happened. A radio program over Station DYTR and hosted by the political enemies of Dumaluan reported that the mayor even tried to harass the caretaker of the complainant.

According to V-Mayor Pedro Fuertes and Kagawad Nonie Hormachuelos , Dumaluan confronted Annie Arana Tagimacruz, the caretaker and threatened to revoke the building and mayor's permit of the resort constructed by her boss Delia Moore. Mrs. Moore who is married to a foreigner executed an affidavit that Andoy extorted money from her amounting to P40,000 and paid in three installments. The extortion was carried out after Andoy, one of the anchormen of a radio program sponsored by the group of Dumaluan assured the Moore couple that he can secure a Certificate of Non-coverage from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for the construction of a resort. The assurance gave rise to the promise of paying Andoy the amount of P65,000 of which P40,000 was only released.

PADLOCKED RESORT

Although the resort of Dumaluan was padlocked by a DENR team last September yet, the same is in the news again after it was discovered that it remains open and business as usual. As proof of the resort's defiance of the CDO, The Post was furnished a copy of an official receipt showing that the establishment is still accepting guests. The receipt was for an overnight stay in the beach resort. As this developed, two Panglao councilors—Dennis Hora and Cerino Hormachuelos wrote Sec. Angelo Reyes of the DENR about the mayor's defiance of the CDO because the “establishment was not effectively closed as they are still accepting and continue to accept guest/clients in the resort”. According to the two councilors “Mr. secretary, your order against Dumaluan Beach Resort was not implemented and in complete disregard of your authority as the signatory of the order”. The task force that enforced the closure order was led by Undersecretary Roy Kyamco.

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