Santa Fe councilor files complaint against town mayor at Ombudsman

Santa Fe Councilor Joan Gay Nepangue files a complaint at the Office of the Ombudsman on Monday, November 11, against incumbent Mayor Ithamar Espinosa. | CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The first councilor of the Municipality of Santa Fe in northern Cebu filed a complaint at the Office of the Ombudsman against incumbent Mayor Ithamar Espinosa that stemmed from a conflict that happened last September 2019.

Santa Fe Councilor Joan Gay Nepangue filed a complaint for alleged criminal harassment, workplace bullying, unjust vexation and grave abuse of authority against Espinosa on Monday, November 11, and narrated the circumstances surrounding her decision to report the incumbent mayor’s actions. 

Nepangue said the conflict started on September 19, 2019 when Espinosa’s nephew, a certain Raprap Zaspa, was the driver of a vehicle that was involved in a hit-and-run incident that injured the partner and two children of Nepangue’s male employee.

Nepangue said her male employee asked for help from her when the three persons were injured around 10 p.m. on September 19 but was left on the road by Zaspa.

The councilor said they learned that the driver was Zaspa when they reported the incident at the Santa Fe Police Station.

Raprap is the son of Mayor Espinosa’s sister, Rafaelita Espinosa Zaspa, who is also the incumbent village chief of Barangay Pook of Santa Fe town.

According to Nepangue, police later found Raprap and invited him to the station where he was later detained. 

Nepangue said Mayor Espinosa arrived at the police station a few hours after. She said an angry Espinosa demanded for an explanation on why his nephew as detained.

Nepangue said Espinosa has since on carried out actions to harass her since then.

On their way home on the same night, September 19, Nepangue claimed that five men on board their motorcycles followed her vehicle. She said she recognised one of the men as one of Mayor Espinosa’s aide who accompanied him at the police station.

Following the September 19 incident, Nepangue said she experienced workplace bullying.

On October 9, in a meeting with Mayor Espinosa, Nepangue said the mayor announced that he could never Nepangue for having his nephew end up behind bars that night.

“Iyaha nang gi ingon in front of everyone, naulawan gyud ko,” said Nepangue.

(He said it in front of everyone. I was really embarrassed.)

Nepangue said the harassment did not end there as she learned that Mayor Espinosa told another councilor that he will never forgive her unless she will experienced being imprisoned for two days, the same length of time that his nephew stayed in jail.

The councilor said Mayor Espinosa’s actions and words bothered her and has led to restlessness and sleepless night, which affected her health.

Nepangue said she is afraid every time she goes out of her house or office. 

CDN Digital is waiting for Mayor Espinosa’s comment on the issue as of this posting. / celr