Barangay officials file charges vs Koronadal City mayor, two others

KORONADAL CITY – Four barangay officials have filed charges before the Department of Interior and Local Government against the city mayor, city local government operations officer and a barangay councilor of this city whom they had accused of conspiring with each other in calling and conducting the election of officers of the Barangay Councilors League of the Philippines here.

Charged were Fernando Miguel, city mayor of Koronadal; Romeo Agustin, city local government operations officer of Koronadal; and Edison Peñalosa, sangguniang-barangay member of Zone 3 of this city. The respondents were charged with “gross misconduct, conduct unbecoming, which are discriminatory, unreasonable, unfair and oppressive, usurpation of authority and functions.”

The complaints against them were filed at the legal section of the provincial office of the DILG here last week.

In their three-page complaint, complainants Bernard Francisco, Minda Justalero, Alfredo de Asis and Hilario Castre are asking the DILG to investigate and render disciplinary action against the said respondents for allegedly conspiring with each other, abusing their authority that resulted to the illegal installation of the new set of officers of the BCLP here.

Based on the complaint, Justalero called for a general assembly and election of new set of officers of the BCLP on May 3 but Miguel and Agustin sent a memorandum order to all the league members calling for an organizational assembly on May 2.

Miguel presided the May 2 assembly at the Casa Gemma Restaurant here while Agustin facilitated the conduct of the election of new BCLP officers. Peñalosa, a close political ally of Miguel, was elected as the new president of the BCLP.

During the May 2 assembly, respondent Miguel “even arrogantly declared that “Ako ang mayor! I don’t recognize Justalero as president of BCLP for she is no longer barangay councilor.”

Justalero ran as city councilor but lost in the last election. “How come? Justalero is still on hold-over capacity as an outgoing president of the BCLP here based on our constitution and by-laws which states that all incumbent officers during an elected election year shall continue in office until their successor shall have elected and qualified,” Francisco told The STAR yesterday.

Francisco said that the BCLP here is a private organization and the respondents, especially Miguel, have no business in intervening in their affairs as stated in their constitution and by-laws.

Based on the DILG Opinion No. 96, dated June 27, 2002 signed by then DILG Secretary Joey Lina, Francisco said Miguel and Agustin, who are not members, are only enjoined to provide support to the league but not to intervene, much more, to manipulate the management and administration of the BCLP.

Francisco also cited Section 509 of RA 7160, otherwise known as the Local Government Code as one of his bases in stressing his point why Agustin and Miguel have no right to gather all the members of the BCLP here and supervised the holding of its new set of officers.

In a radio interview, Miguel said he is willing to face and answer all the charges filed against him.