Mandaue City prosecutor charged

CEBU, Philippines - A bus driver has filed criminal and administrative complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas and the Regional State Prosecutor’s Office, respectively, against an assistant city prosecutor of Mandaue after he was allegedly slapped on the face following a traffic accident two weeks ago.

Auto Bus driver Rolando Lequin, resident of Poblacion, San Remegio, accused assistant city prosecutor Beinvenido Mabanto, Jr. of slight physical injury before the anti-graft body and the RSP.

Lequin asked the Ombudsman to look into the criminal aspect of the complaint while the RSP on the administrative.

The case stemmed from a traffic accident on November 12 in Tabok, Mandaue City.

Lequin said he was driving his bus along M,C. Briones St. towards the North Bus Terminal at 1:45 p.m. when he accidentally hit Mabanto’s vehicle while trying to maneuver to make a left turn.

Lequin said he did not notice having hit Mabanto’s vehicle because it was only the side mirror that was hit. Nevertheless, Lequin said he stopped because his attention was called by his conductor.

However, before he could disembark from the bus, Mabanto already entered the bus and slapped him on the left face. Mabanto also confiscated his license and have him detained at the Basak Police Station.

Lequin said Mabantos ordered Senior Police Officer 3 Edgardo Pasaylo to arrest him without investigating first the incident. For four days, Lequin was detained until he was able to bail himself out from the criminal charges for reckless imprudence resulting to damage to property. Mabanto denied slapping Lequin.

RSP Fernando Gubalane said he will forward the complaint to Manila to avoid accusations of being biased. (FREEMAN)