Ex-Mayor, Son Cry Harassment

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

 Former Sual mayor and his son  John who ran in the same post last May 13, 2019 election have been charged at the regional office of the Commission on Election in San Fernando City, La Union with Election Offenses as provided by the Omnibus Election Code by Michael Jasmin.
The former mayor said they were sued with “threat, intimidation, terrorism, use of fraudulent device, or other forms of coercion (paragraph “e” of Section 261)” and “registration of voters as seen on paragraph “y” of the same Section)” by Jasmin whom he suspected to be doing a billing for their political opponents.
“We are not worried. We are going to answer the complaint affidavit in case we received it,” the ex – hizzoner explained to this writer.
He said that their enemies are up in arms so his family could not challenge the power that be there in the May 2022 election.
“Those cases were just harassment. We would be vindicated later because the accusation were not true,” the former mayor cited.
 

ARCINUES. From left: Former Sual Mayor Roberto Arcinue and his son John. The latter, a former nine years mayor, ran for the top post of the coastal town Sual in the 2019 Election but lost to present mayor Liseldo "Dong" Calugay.

Coercion as provided by Republic Act No. 7890 amending grave coercion under the Revised Penal Code entails an imprisonment of prision mayor (up to 12 years) as seen on the case of Antique Governor Exequel Javier when he harassed Valderrama Mayor Mary Joyce U. Roquero before the May 2013 election.
“He is an ambulance driver of the local government unit of Sual,” Arcinue told media men in Dagupan City about the status of their complainant Jasmin. 

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Last month, the former mayor told reporters that he wished that the Ombudsman favors him on the criminal and administrative complaints he filed to the vice mayor and some members of the Sangguniang Bayan (legislature) for their procrastination in the passing of the 2019 Annual Appropriation Budget.
“People of Sual and I wait anytime from now the favorable decision of the Ombudsman against those I sued. Any favorable decision from the Information given by the Ombudsman to the Sandiganbayan (court) means warrant of arrest for the respondents and preventive suspension in their posts,” former mayor Roberto Arcinue told this newspaper.

In June 10, 2019 Arcinue filed at the Ombudsman in Quezon City criminal case of Anti-Graft & Corrupt Practices Act and administrative cases of Conduct Prejudicial to the Best Interest of the Service and Gross Neglect of Duty against then vice mayor Dionisio G. Caburao, Jr., Sangguniang Bayan (SB) members Dionel G. Caburao, Alex I. Osana, Michael John C. Millan, Danilo B. Vinluan, and Emerina O. Taboy.
In the July 10, 2019 Order signed by Director Joaquin F. Salazar, he directed the respondents to file their respective counter-affidavits on the criminal and administrative cases.

Recall that in January 15, 2019, February 11, 2019, and May 15, 2019 then mayor Arcinue wrote then Vice Mayor Caburao, the members of the SB, SB Secretary Wilma A. Asuncion for the urgent passing and approving of an ordinance authorizing the annual budget of the first class town for Three Hundred and Fifty Million Pesos (Php 350, 000,000.00).
In his February 11 letter, the former chief executive said that the services in the field of agriculture, education, infrastructure, and livelihood were dependent on the approval of such.
“Even the permanent deployment of doctors and nurses at the Sual Primary Care Facility (PCF) relies on its passing. Our constituents deserve to have the medical assistance to be provided by these doctors, most specially those who are under-privileged and destitute of financial resources,” he continued.
In his May 15 letter Arcinue cited that it was already been seven months and ten days since then, causing the same length of delay of the delivery of services to our people.

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(You can read my selected columns at http://mortzortigoza.blogspot.com and articles at Pangasinan News Aro. You can send comments too at totomortz@yahoo.com)