THE Department of Interior and Local Government Office (DILG) will hear today the administrative complaint filed by a group against Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Vicente Emano.
Legal officers from the national office of DILG in Manila will be arriving today in the city for the preliminary conference of the complaint filed against Emano in connection with the disaster brought by tropical storm Sendong in December 2011.
Emano was accused of negligence and dereliction of duty by complainants Dr. Vincent Tero, Raul Ramon Roa, Celestino Ocio, Teodulfo Lao and Enrico Salcedo of Save CDO Now Movement for defiance of the orders of government agencies which, according to them, resulted in the “unparalleled number of deaths and destruction.”
Aside from this, the case of the Pelaez bridge painted with purple and the Carmen Market versus Jacky Ching, who was also summoned by Roxas, will also be included in today’s preliminary hearing.
But Emano said he is prepared to answer all charges and is ready to face whatever decision the DILG would come up with.
“Klaro naman kini nga pagpang-lutos kanako but they cannot also prevent us to appeal the case kay wala man gyud akoy sala niini,” he said.
The preliminary conference for Emano’s case came after newly-installed DILG Secretary Mar Roxas ordered for a speedy investigation on his first day of appointment.
The DILG set the hearing on September 10 and 11.
But Emano earlier said he was surprised why his cases were made very specific “in just a nick of time” when Roxas has so many things to do as the newly appointed DILG Secretary.
“Why would he put the blame on me when previous administrations before me allowed the residents to settle down in the island?” he said.
City Councilor Simeon Licayan earlier said the rush decision of Roxas, making Emano first on his list, was politically motivated and slanted to those who have the intention to win the mayoralty seat in the 2013 election.
He, however, failed to elaborate.
Meanwhile, village chiefs and the members of their council are expected to troop to the DILG-Northern Mindanao office bringing purple flaglets to show their support to Emano during the hearing.
