Wednesday, October 07, 2009

‘Double ignorance,’ says Soriano of Fabricante case handling

CAGAYAN JOURNAL (Ben Balce/Oct. 7) - FORMER vice mayor Antonio Soriano yesterday tongue-lashed the city council’s blue ribbon committee and accused its chairperson of ‘‘double ignorance.’’

Over radio station DxCC, Soriano said he was surprised over the way Councilor Adrian Barba has been handling the administrative complaint against Patag barangay chairperson Benedicto Fabricante.

Fabricante was ordered suspended for 90 days by Mayor Constantino Jaraula due to alleged falsification of documents following a recommendation from the blue ribbon committee. Barba is the chairperson of the committee.

Soriano said Barba, being a lawyer by profession and dean of a college of law in the city, was expected to be know the city council’s rules.

‘‘Since he is the chairman of the blue ribbon committee, he should know the house rules,’’ the ex-vice mayor said in the vernacular.

Soriano, also a lawyer, said Barba’s committee even bypassed the head of the city council, Vice Mayor Vicente Emano, when it directly recommended Fabricante’s suspension to Jaraula.

Barba earlier admitted that the suspension of Fabricante was not brought to the plenary, and the committee merely adopted the house rules approved by city council as a whole.

A new set of house rules was adopted in 2008, according to Councilor Ramon Tabor.

“Dili na moagi sa plenary kay ang gihimo sa blue ribbon interlocutory order dili decision,” Barba said.

Soriano said, “It’s very very ironic, dean of a college of law and chair pa sa blue ribbon makaingon s’ya (Barba) nia-ana.”

What Barba and members of the blue ribbon committee did was deprive Fabricante of his right to govern, said Soriano, adding that the village official was elected by Patag residents.

He said the committee acted on its own when it recommended Fabricante’s suspension directly to the mayor’s office.

“Kinsa man diay ang ilang immediate boss sa city council? Di ba ang vice mayor? Kung ang vice mayor ang ilang boss, gi-bypass na nila si Dongkoy (Emano),’’ argued Soriano.

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