Municipal council secretary indicted for hitting councilor

CEBU, Philippines - The Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas has indicted the municipal board secretary of Catmon for direct assault.

Anti-graft investigator Katherine Genovesa found probable cause to charge Arnold Duran in court for throwing a coffee mug at town councilor Caesar Coloscos during a misunderstanding.

“Weighing the evidence presented by both parties, evidence submitted by complainant is sufficient enough to warrant the filing of a case in court against the respondent,” the anti-graft office resolution reads.

Under Article 148 of the Revised Penal Code, direct assault can be committed by attacking, by employing force or by seriously resisting any person in authority.

The case stemmed from a misunderstanding between Duran and Coloscos during the council session on July 26, 2011.

During the session, Councilor Estrella Aribal moved for the approval of the minutes of their previous session but Coloscos asked that necessary corrections be made which the presiding officer noted.

However, Duran reportedly refused to make the corrections. Duran claimed he did not hear the corrections made.

The complainant admonished Duran for his failure to record the proceedings in the council resulting in the discrepancy of the minutes.

Complainant likewise questioned the actuation of Duran in willfully disobeying the order to make the necessary corrections of the minutes.

Coloscos said Duran approached him and uttered disrespectful words against him as well as pointing his finger at him.

“Not satisfied, respondent went back to complainant’s table and with intent to inflict injury, threw a coffee mug at him but missed,” Coloscos said.

Complainant alleged he was also attacked and punched by respondent hitting his head causing slight physical injury.

Coloscos submitted the minutes of the incident prepared by acting SB secretary Earl Tidy Oyas. Duran denied the allegations.

Duran said he only raised his hand slightly as his gesture when he approached Coloscos to explain but the latter allegedly parried his hands causing it to touch his head.  (FREEMAN)