Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan shows the documents where the Ombudsman dismissed complaints filed against the mayor. | Futch Anthony Inso
LAPU-LAPU CITY, Philippines — The Office of the Ombudsman Visayas has dismissed four complaints that were filed against Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan.
Among the complaints that were dismissed by the Ombudsman is the violation of Usurpation of Authority or Official Function, Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and Grave Misconduct filed by former councilor Cipriano Flores; violation of Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, Grave Misconduct, and Code of Conduct and Ethical Standard for Public Officials and Employees that was filed by Rolando Duero, former secretary of Congresswoman Paz Radaza when she was still a mayor in the city.
Usurpation of Authority, Conduct Unbecoming of a Public Official, and Grave Misconduct filed by a certain Antonio Utrera; and violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, Grave Misconduct and Conduct Unbecoming of a Public Official filed by former Association of Barangay Council (ABC) president Leo Mercado.
In a press conference, Chan said that he only received a copy of the decisions on Wednesday, March 16, 2022.
“If you remember, mga cases filed nila after the election, so that time, wala pa sila kadawat seguro sa ilang gidangatan, sa ilang kapildihan, mao nang nagpusot-pusot ang mga kaso. So karon, naanad nata sa mga kaso nga ilang gi-file, pero pasalamat ta’g dako kay ang tanan na-dismiss,” Chan said.
(If you remember, these are cases filed after the election, so that time, perhaps, they had not yet accepted their fate, their defeat, that is why several cases were filed. So now, we are getting used to those filing cases against us, but I still am grateful because all those cases had been dismissed.)
Chan said that the dismissal of these complaints only proved that they did not have any basis at all.
“Pasalamat ko’g dako nga the truth will always prevail. Ang kamatuoran maoy nipatigbabaw. Nakita nato nga ang mga pasangil nga gipahid sa atoa, sa atong mga kaatbang, walay mga basihan,” he added.
(I am very grateful that the truth will always prevail. The truth is what came out on top. We saw that the things that they said about us, our rivals, had no basis.)
Chan said that he still had one pending case at the Ombudsman that was filed by seven barangay captains, which involved Malversation of Public Funds and violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, due to alleged questionable transactions that the city had entered into in the purchase of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) related items.
Aside from this, a case of unjust vexation was also filed against the mayor, after he ordered the closure of the office of Lapu-Lapu Lone District Representative Paz Radaza.
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