Appointments of 2 lawyers to interim Board questioned
Metro Iloilo Water District Director Adrian Moncada has dismissed the claim of lawyer Romeo Gerochi that his group of ousted directors, who were granted a restraining order by the Regional Trial Court on Tuesday, failed to pay a cash bond in court.
Gerochi, who was named director by the Local Water Utilities Administration in the interim Board, supposedly refused to step down for such reason.
Moncada, however, said they paid a cash bond of P50,000 on Tuesday which prompted the court to issue a writ of execution on the same day.
Instead, he questioned Gerochi’s appointment because he is identified as the private lawyer of MIWD manager for finance and administrative services Amariles Castro.
Moncada also revealed that Atty. Rodolfo Legaspi, interim Board corporate secretary, is also known as the legal counsel of MIWD general manager Le Jayme Jalbuena.
“The people will think negative about it because they have already established relationships,” he said.
Moncada added the appointments of Emmanuel Malicdem, as interim Board chairman; Hermilo Balucan, vice chairman; and Enrique Gita, as member, are all “in question” because they are connected with LWUA, and as LWUA officials, they are considered government employees.
“Government employees should not be appointed as (members of the) Board,” he said.
Aside from Gerochi, also appointed as director in the interim Board was Jessica Salas.
They were appointed by the LWUA on November 15 after it declared the appointments of the incumbent directors null and void.
RTC Branch 23 Judge Edgardo Catillo, however, cited “injustice” to the petitioners, led by ousted director Sergio Gonzalez, considering that their functions as members of the MIWD Board was discharged by no less than the LWUA who confirmed and recognized their appointments based on the letters it sent to the MIWD management dated May 11, 2009 and March 16, 2010.
Aside from Moncada and Gonzalez, other members of the board are Bernadette Castellano, Celso Javelosa, and Danilo Encarnacion.
Disciplinary Action
Meanwhile, the MIWD Board will also look into a possible disciplinary action against Jalbuena.
Moncada said their petition before the court was only against the interim Board and does not include Jalbuena.
He said that Jalbuena is part of the plan that led to their ouster so he is also accountable.
“He could still function as general manager but with limitations. He can do what he wants but he will see to it that he does not overpower us,” he said.*
