Sedition charges up vs guv, 3 others
Sedition charges were filed before the Iloilo City Prosecutor's Office yesterday (Thursday) afternoon following Wednesday's police operation ordered by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).
Docketed as I.S. No. 120-07, respondents were Governor Niel Tupas Sr., his son Board Member Niel Tupas Jr., Provincial Administrator Manuel Mejorada and Iloilo Rehabilitation Center (IRC) warden, retired Police Senior Superintendent Juan Mabugat.
Complainants were Vice Governor Roberto Armada and Senior Board Member Manny Gallar in an incident that made history in Iloilo's political scene.
The respondent Capitol officials were tagged behind the four-day stand-off that stopped transactions and normal operations of the Iloilo Provincial Government.
Dump trucks were positioned in all of the Capitol gates to prevent entry of cars as back and side doors of the Capitol building were likewise padlocked and blocked with tables and chairs.
Tupas and his family along with closest of aides holed up in the Capitol following Saturday's confirmation of an Ombudsman order for his dismissal from government service. When the order was served by Undersecretary Wencilito Andanar, media was told that two dismissal orders were in the offing for the two administrative cases that found him guilty of grave misconduct.
The sedition charges signaled the first official legal battle lodged by Armada and Gallar who were installed by the DILG as the governor and vice governor respectively.
A Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) from the Court of Appeals put on hold the Capitol action.