Ombudsman finds enough basis to indict Pavia exec, others
The Office of the Ombudsman Visayas has found enough basis to proceed with the preliminary investigation and administrative adjudication proceedings of criminal and administrative cases filed against Pavia Mayor Arcadio Gorriceta, his Executive Assistant Lorrellei Geroche and Municipal Planning Development Officer (MPDO) Baltazar Gumana.
Docketed as OMB-V-C-09-0212-G and OMB-V-A-09-0208-G, the cases which were the offshoot of the removal and confiscation of private billboards in Pavia, Iloilo also impleaded village chiefs Andresito Jorilla, Alex Gorriceta of Purok II and Dino Gorriceta of Purok I. Jorilla is the president of the Association of Barangay Captains of Pavia.
In a two-page Ombudsman Order, respondent-officials were notified of the criminal and administrative raps relative to the implementation of a questioned order of Mayor Gorriceta and they were ordered to file counter-affidavits and “other controverting evidence” with the reply period of “strictly TEN (10) days.
“Failure to comply as herein directed within the period prescribed by the rules, shall be deemed a waiver of the right to present the parties’ counter-affidavits and/or reply-affidavit, and the investigation shall proceed according to the existing rules,” Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas Pelagio Apostol wrote through Samuel Malazarte, Acting Director for the Ombudsman’s Evaluation and Investigation Office.
Further still came the anti-graft body’s notification that “Motion to dismiss, motion for bill of particulars and similar dilatory motions are prohibited and shall be stricken off the records of the case.”
The charges as hurled before the Ombudsman stemmed from the controversial order of Mayor Gorriceta to remove numerous billboards in Pavia.
The Ombudsman as per initial Request for Assistance (RAS) found merit on the initial evidences presented thus the “preliminary investigation and administrative adjudication proceedings.” Such as the RAS on this incident was elevated into criminal and administrative cases.
To recall, Mayor Gorriceta upon implementing his Executive Order to remove the billboards was in the company of the other respondents. Extensive media coverage was also present upon the mayor’s invitation and notification of his billboard-removal “event.”
