Former Palompon Mayor Georgina Arevalo exhibits a duplicate of the enterprise and waiver of look signed by dismissed mayor Ramon Oñate. | Contributed photograph
MANDAUE CITY, Cebu — A mayoral candidate in Palompon city in Leyte province is planning to ask the court docket to difficulty a bench warrant in opposition to dismissed mayor Ramon Oñate and 13 others for skipping the arraignment on Thursday, April 24, of two felony circumstances filed in opposition to them.
Oñate and the opposite respondents are going through fees of malversation via falsification of public paperwork and violation of Part 3(e) of the Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act filed earlier than Department 17 of the Regional Trial Court docket in Palompon city.
“Mahatagan na siya og bench warrant as a result of tantamount man ni siya sa disrespect nimo sa proceedings sa court docket nga gipaappear ka unya wa ka ni nganha. Murag wala kay respeto sa pagtawag sa decide. So, I believe dapat tagaan gyud ni sila or issuehan gyud ni sila og bench warrant,” Arevalo stated.
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(They are often issued a bench warrant as a result of what they did was tantamount to disrespect of the court docket proceedings since they had been requested to seem however didn’t present up. It’s a show of disrespect for the decide. So, I believe they are often issued a bench warrant.)
A bench warrant is a authorized order that’s issued by a decide to direct legislation enforcers to arrest and convey a person earlier than the court docket, normally for failing to seem in court docket, for violating court docket orders, or for contempt of court docket.
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Furthermore, Arevalo expressed worry that Oñate may flee the nation to keep away from prosecution.
“If naa siyay capability to pay his bail, ergo naa siyay capability to depart the nation,” she stated.
(If he has the capability to pay bail, so he has the capability to depart the nation.)
‘Plain and easy politics’
Throughout a speech that he delivered in a current marketing campaign sortie, a duplicate of which was posted on his Fb web page, Oñate stated that the accusations in opposition to him had been “plain and easy politics.”
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He asserted that he didn’t steal authorities funds and that every one the transactions that he entered into throughout his time period in workplace had been so as.
Oñate accused Arevalo of fabricating lies to make it possible for he is not going to win within the Could 12 elections. Having him as a candidate for mayor would imply Arevalo’s defeat as proven within the end result of their first encounter within the 2022 elections, he added.
“Naglaum kami nga mahatagan gyud kami og hustisya.”
(We proceed to hope that we are going to be given justice.)
“Moingon sila nga gipusasan mi, mangapriso mi. Wa mi problema. Mapriso mi o dili mi mapriso, dli mi mahadlok tungod kay wa mi mangawat sa kwarta sa gobyerno,” he added.
(They stated that we had been handcuff, that we had been despatched to jail. I don’t have an issue with that. Both we go to jail or not, I’m not afraid as a result of I didn’t steal authorities funds.)
In the identical sortie, Oñate additionally introduced his resolution to already withdraw from the mayoral race and as a substitute help the candidacy of his daughter, DM. Each filed their Certificates of Candidacy (COCs) for Palompon mayor in October 2024 in opposition to Arevalo.
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Administrative case
Earlier, Ombudsman Samuel Martires ordered Oñate and 10 others dismissed from authorities service after they had been discovered responsible of grave misconduct and critical dishonesty for the misappropriation of public funds for the acquisition of gasoline, oil and lubricant for 3 autos which have been decommissioned and had been already past restore.
The opposite respondents of the executive case had been Sangguniang Bayan Members Margarito Bensig Jr. Esperanza Sumalinog, Emmanuel Laurente, Consuelo Bonghanoy, Ranulfo Gaspan Sr., Jonathan Yap, and Rene Camposano; drivers Alfredo Lubiano and Pablo Chavarria; and native legislative employees Debbi Ann Dignos.
What stays pending earlier than the RTC are the felony circumstances in opposition to Oñate, Bensig, Sumalinog, Laurente, Bonghanoy, Gaspan Sr., Camposano, Lubiano, Chavarria, Dignos, Evanna Kirstie Misagal, William Balasabas and Ranulfo Gaspan Jr.
Arraignment
The respondents had been imagined to be arraigned for his or her felony circumstances on Thursday, however didn’t seem in court docket.
Arevalo stated that skipping the arraignment was additionally a violation of the enterprise and waiver of look that they signed after they posted bail final March 13.
Warrants for his or her arrest had been issued on March 13, which prompted Oñate and the opposite respondents to put up bail of P72, 000 and P90, 000 respectively for every of their circumstances as in addition they signed the enterprise and waiver of look on the identical day.
The enterprise says that it “shall stay enforced in any respect levels of the case till promulgation of the judgement of the Regional Trial Court docket.” It should additionally require Oñate and the opposite respondents to “seem earlier than the correct court docket at any time when required by the Court docket or the Guidelines of Court docket, and in case of my failure to seem, a warrant of arrest shall [be] difficulty in opposition to me and my bond shall be confiscated.”
“That my failure to seem on the trial of my case with out justification and regardless of due discover shall be deemed a waiver of my proper to be current thereat. In such case, my trial might proceed in absentia,” learn a part of the enterprise.
Oñate was represented throughout the supposed arraignment by lawyer Gerenstein Banzon who instructed the court docket that they nonetheless had a pending movement to quash info with movement to carry in abeyance additional proceedings and formal entry of look of counsel for the accused, and the Workplace of the Ombudsman had but to touch upon the matter.
Decide Dexter Aguilar of RTC Department 17 ordered for a reset of the arraignment to June 5 as he additionally gave the Workplace of the Ombudsman 5 days to difficulty its touch upon the movement to quash info.
Delaying tactic
Arevalo stated the submitting of the movement to quash was a “delaying tactic” with hopes that the Oñates will win within the Could 12 elections and regain energy and management of the municipal authorities.
“His non-appearance is a delaying tactic kay hapit na baya ang election,” she stated.
(His non-appeance is a delaying tactic as a result of the election is basically close to.)
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