2 more administrative cases filed vs Pangasinan mayor

DASOL, Pangasinan, Philippines – Two more administrative cases were filed against this town’s mayor and his men for allegedly beating up five supporters of his rival in the mayoral race.

One of the cases were filed against Mayor Noel Nacar before the Commission on Elections’ legal department for alleged violation of the Omnibus Election Code for engaging in threats and intimidation, and the second before the Office of the Ombudsman for grave misconduct. 

The Comelec case was filed on Wednesday with the office of legal department director Esmeralda Amora-Ladra against Nacar and 13 members of the Liga ng mga Barangay of Dasol town. 

Lawyer Benjamin de los Santos, legal counsel of the complainants, said the case involves the issuance by the Liga ng mga Barangay of Resolution No. 01-2013 dated April 2, 2013 requiring campaigners on motorcycles to obtain prior consent or permit from the chairman of the barangay where they will hold campaign sorties.

De los Santos said the requirement is considered a mere afterthought, as it was passed a day after five motorcycle-riding supporters of mayoral bet Eric Verzosa of the Liberal Party were allegedly beaten up by Nacar and four of his men last April 1.  

“It is calculated to control the free movement and campaign exercise of the ‘campaigners on motorcycles’ of Team Papagkadwa (Unity) under Verzosa and constitutes coercion which is an election offense under the Omnibus Election Code,” De los Santos said. 

De los Santos said a case of grave misconduct was also filed against Nacar and four of his men with the Office of the Ombudsman last April 12. 

Both cases were an offshoot of the criminal charges for grave threats, physical injuries and malicious mischief filed with the provincial prosecutor’s office last April 8 against Nacar, engineer Amado Balaoing, Reynaldo Balaoing, Romeo Verzosa, and Jesus Reyes by the five complainants – Robert Canilang, Archie Nomus, Roger Valderama, Pedro Balatico and Robert Naranja, all supporters of Eric Verzosa.

Nacar also filed a case against his accusers on the same day the criminal complaint was lodged against him.

The STAR tried to get Nacar’s comment on the administrative cases filed against him but he was reportedly in a meeting.