Gumabong to face off with ex-superiors as probe starts
Several officials of the City Engineer's Office (CEO), alleged extortionist Ricardo Gumabong and his victims are expected to appear before the City Legal Office (CLO) as the latter starts its investigation on Tuesday.
Atty. Edgar Gil, CLO chief, said they will start the investigation morning of June 6, 2006.
Among the people who were invited to appear in the investigation are Gumabong, City Engineer Marito Amatorio, Engr. Marcelio Umahag, OIC chief of the safety and electrical division of the City Engineers Office (CEO), Erol Cudilla, chief of the Special Service Unit (SSU), Alice Lasdoce, area manager of Rose Pharmacy and Victor Palilio, manager of the Philippine Phosphate Fertilizer Corp. The CLO asked them to prepare their affidavits.
Gil said the investigation will be handled by Atty. Mila Hechanova and Atty. Jose Daduros (vice Atty. Mario Caoyonan) and Atty. Lorna Laurea. He said Caoyonan and Laurea inhibited themselves from the conduct of the investigation.
Gil said the investigation will be made every other day to fast track the conduct of the investigation as ordered by Mayor Jerry Treñas.
Meanwhile, the Sangguniang Panglungsod will wait for the recommendation of the CLO on Gumabong's case before they act on it. Among those city councilors who expressed interest on Gumabong's case are Councilor Perla Zulueta, chair of the committee on ways and means and Majority Floor Leader Eduardo Peñaredondo.
Last year, Zulueta already questioned the collections made by the CEO on year 2004. The figures based on the CEO's records and of City Treasurer's Office vary. She felt vindicated when Gumabong implicated top officials and employees of the CEO on illegal transactions.
Peñaredondo, being the chair of the committee on rules, ordinances and legal matters said they will wait for the CLO's recommendation before they could legislate any ordinances to solve the perennial problem at the CEO.
The city council will come up with measures and introduce a system to make transactions at the CEO transparent. This is to prevent illegal transactions at the engineers office, said Peñaredondo.