10 Davao execs face raps over cockpit mess

DAVAO CITY — The vice mayor and nine councilors of Panabo City in Davao del Norte are now facing charges in the Office of the Ombudsman-Mindanao for reportedly overriding the mayor’s veto on a resolution allowing a cockpit to operate.

A Panabo resident, Esteban Saramosing, filed the complaint against Vice Mayor Rudy Adlaon and the nine councilors for overriding the Jan. 23 veto of Mayor Rey Gavina on an earlier resolution granting a cockpit franchise and license to Panabo Leisure Park Inc.

The councilor-respondents are Alan Dujali, Timoteo Aldiano, Gabriel Arguelles, Dionisia Dulay, Aureliano Garcia, Cresenciano Tilaon Jr., Ely Dacalus, Melkigian Perez II and Rhea Silva Chatto.

Saramosing said Gavina vetoed the resolution since it was a supposed flagrant violation of Presidential Decree 449 as amended by PD 1802, also known as the Cockfighting Law.

Under this law, Saramosing said a cockpit should be 200 to 500 meters away from the national highway, and also at least 200 meters away from any existing residential and commercial areas, school buildings, churches or other public buildings.

Panabo Leisure Park, he said, constructed its cockpit less than 200 meters away from the national highway, near a residential area and nearly in front of the church of Tsidkenn Ministries Inc. — Edith Regalado