Scandal rocks CHR 6, top exec, paramour face concubinage, adultery raps
Montaño
"Thou shall not covet thy neighbor's wife." Especially too if you are a married top official of the government's Commission on Human Rights (CHR), an agency that is supposed to uphold and protect the human rights of others.
A costly lesson now learned by the CHR Regional Office 6 rocked by a scandal first exposed by Radio Mindanao Network (RMN) 774.
At the center of the controversy is Christopher Montaño, a respected and widely-known CHR official throughout Western Visayas region. In Iloilo, Montaño enjoys the trust and friendship of fellow workers in government and members of the local media. He is further admired for his eloquence and civic-minded spirit being an active member of various civic organizations including the Junior Chamber International (JCI).
Because of his achievements, Montaño, reportedly, is even being considered to run for city councilor in 2010 under the slate of Vice Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog.
Until the scandal involving him and a young married Ilongga, whom he met while he was officer of the JCI went public.
Docketed as IS No. 1840-08, the duo is subject of concubinage and adultery complaint filed in September before the Iloilo City Prosecutor's Office by the woman's husband.
Montaño, an active member of the society and an official of a respected government agency, is now charged with immoral acts tainting the very office that was created to protect human rights and destroying the family of the woman with whom he had illicit relationship.
In a complaint-affidavit obtained by The News Today (TNT), the husband alleged that his wife, of which he has been married to since 1994, had an illicit affair and sexual relations with Montaño.
The complainant alleged that his suspicion about his wife having an affair with another man started sometime in the last quarter of 2005 when he happened to read a text message in his wife's cellphone implying an illicit affair.
He said that when he confronted his wife about the text message the latter admitted having an affair but refused to divulge the identity of her lover.
In August 2006, complainant's wife gave birth to what he believes was their fourth child.
Until two years later, complainant alleged that he accidentally discovered series of text messages in his wife's cellphone apparently coming from her lover. Worse, the sender hiding under a code name "Hanna" was asking about their fourth child as if he has a personal attachment to the child.
It then dawned to the complainant that their fourth child could not be his and the person texting his wife could be the father.
Consequently, complainant said he told his parents about his discovery. Complainant said his parents then called his wife to come over to their house and when she arrived she was readily asked by complainant's father if who is the real father of their fourth child. His wife emotionally confessed thereafter that their fourth child was sired by Montaño whom she admitted to have had relationship with since 2004.
Montaño and fellow-respondent named paramour were already furnished copies of the sworn statement cum complaint-affidavit of the respondent's husband. Status of said twin-complaints is "pending Preliminary Investigation" as the assigned city prosecutor awaits the reply of the two who were given two weeks to comply.
Relatedly, administrative raps for illicit and immoral acts were also filed by the aggrieved husband of Montaño's alleged paramour. It was reportedly with the CHR Regional Office 6 and Office of the Ombudsman in the Visayas where the administrative complaint was lodged.
TNT is verifying information that another extensive account of the illicit affair was also furnished directly to Ombudsman Director Virginia Palanca-Santiago.
And like the criminal aspect, purportedly attached to the administrative complaints were pictures, e-mail exchanges and even text messages establishing the existence of the purported affair.
In fact, graphic messages were exchanged by the duo particularly in a number of emails sent back and forth.
Montaño like the co-respondent is married with children studying in Assumption Iloilo and Westbridge School for Boys, two exclusive schools in the city. His wife is also a government employee working at the Iloilo Provincial Capitol.
Sources told TNT that Montaño is expected to tender his resignation at the CHR. The subject alleged paramour on the other hand has since left the family home with the two-year old child.
Though tackled on-air for days, no statement was reached from the CHR, Montaño nor other parties involved in the controversy.