Pasay court issues final ruling on AMWSLAI row

A Pasay City regional trial court (RTC) has declared as final and executory its June 16 resolution dismissing a suit filed by five former directors of the Air Materiel Wing Savings and Loan Association, Inc. (AMWSLAI), challenging their disqualification from running for election as members of the board of trustees in 2005.

Judge Eugenio dela Cruz denied the petition filed by Col. Luvin Manay, Antonio Mantuano, Johnson Nestor Ocfemia, Jose Elaurza, and Anselmo Geronimo. The five petitioners filed a motion to reconsider the June 16 order.

Last July 14, Dela Cruz denied with finality the motion for reconsideration.

In 2005, the five petitioners elevated the case to the Court of Appeals and then to the Supreme Court, which ruled in 2007 that Manay, Mantuano, Elaurza, Ocfemia, and Geronimo – together with Ricardo Nolasco Jr., Morado Mercado, and Thaddeus Estalilla, who were elected in 2005 – should sit as holdover members of the AMWSLAI board of trustees until an election is held.

The Pasay court said the five petitioners did not participate in the Jan. 18 polls, which resulted in the “election of eight trustees, who were joined by three other trustees elected in December 2006.”

Manay and his group then sought to annul the Jan. 18 election, which the Supreme Court denied.

The Supreme Court had validated the election to the AMWSLAI board of trustees of retired colonel Nolasco, Estalilla, Mercado, Ismael Abad, Ricardo Perido, Angel Tapac, Antonio Gumba, and Cesar Toledanes. They and the three directors earlier elected — Rolando Cacabelos, Odelon Mendoza, and Cedric Reyes – now compose the 11-member board of trustees.