Upper Bicutan barangay official sues Taguig mayor

MANILA, Philippines - A barangay chairwoman of Upper Bicutan, Taguig has filed charges against Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano for the alleged forcible retrieval of vehicles which were donated by the past administration.

In a complaint filed before the Office of the President and the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Upper Bicutan Chairwoman Myrna de la Peña accused Cayetano and acting city administrator Jose Luis Montales of violating the provisions of Republic Act (RA) 7160 and Civil Service Rules.

De la Peña’s complaint stemmed from the alleged Gestapo-like manner employed by about 50 city hall representatives in the retrieval of a Chana Multipurpose van (SHX-817) from Barangay Upper Bicutan at around 8:30 p.m., which was beyond office hours, Aug. 12.

The latest complaint against the mayor was publicized by the camp of Vice Mayor George Elias a day after Cayetano divulged the “anomalies” of the Tiñga administration, including his alleged multi-million “ghost projects.” Earlier, De la Peña together with 24 barangay captains accused Cayetano and the city’s acting treasurer before the Ombudsman for their alleged failure to release their shares from the city’s real property taxes.

She said the team led by a certain Ronald Galicia, of the General Services Office, stormed the barangay hall of Upper Bicutan and enforced a memorandum issued by Montales which stated “to retrieve the vehicles assigned or presently being used by officials and employees of the city and conduct an inventory and assessment of needs for these vehicles.” She said she was not at the barangay hall when Galicia’s group arrived.

She said Galicia’s group even allegedly threatened the officer of the day Leo Fornales when the latter informed them that only De la Peña, as barangay chairwoman, can authorize the release or direct the pull out of their vehicles. Fornales said Galicia’s group then took the Chana Start II vehicle using a tow truck with plate numbers XRE-673 uttering the words “Wala kaming pakialam doon. Huwag na kayong lumaban, kundi magkakagulo dito (We have nothing to do with this. Don’t fight back, or there will be a rumble).”

De la Peña said Fornales gave in because Galicia’s group was too huge.

“The vehicles were part of a valid donation from the past administration, legally covered by a Council resolution, deed of donation and acceptance from the respective barangays. The donation was done to empower the barangays in their delivery of basic services to their constituents,” Elias said. He said Cayetano has chosen to deprive the barangays of the donated vehicles, despite the fact that they are the frontliners and the first to respond to the needs of the people. He said the loss of vehicle in Upper Bicutan has affected their roving operations.

Meanwhile, former city administrator Wilfredo Villar said that because of the mounting cases, the Cayetano camp has become desperate and has waged an all-out smear campaign to persecute the former administration through media, with mere speculations and hasty statements.“We were one of the best performing local government units in the country during the administration of former Mayor Freddie Tiñga. And no amount of black propaganda can ever change that,” Villar said.

Cayetano, who defeated Tiñga’s father by a margin of 2,420 votes in the mayoralty elections, was the only one in her ticket to win in the May 10 polls.