Mandaue City Councilor Cynthia Cinco-Remedio. | CDN Digital file photo
MANDAUE CITY, Cebu – A Mandaue City Councilor has called for an investigation into the purchase of a city-owned lot by Lone District Rep. Emmarie “Lolypop” Ouano-Dizon and her husband, Opao barangay captain Nixon Dizon.
Councilor Cynthia Cinco-Remedio, the proponent of the resolution, said the matter should be looked into by the city government because this involved a city-owned property.
She want the investigation spearheaded by the committee on laws and ordinances of the Mandaue City Council, in coordination with a lawyer.
READ: Visayas Ombudsman asked to probe Lolypop, husband for plunder, graft
If the accusation raised by broadcaster Edward Ligas is proven true, Cinco-Remedio said that the city government should take legal actions against the couple to recover the property in question and protect its interests.
“Na-involve man gud ang city, so akoa lang gihimoan og resolution para atoang ma-forward sa chairman sa committee on laws and ordinances para macheck lang sad. So, ang atoa lang transparency nga makahibaw sad ta, makahibaw ang siyudad kung unsa to ang gi-file nga kaso,” Cinco-Remedio said in an interview after the Council’s regular session on Monday, September 30.
READ: Regal Oliva tells Lolypop to stop lying: ‘Bakakon siyang daku’
Administration Councilors Malcolm Sanchez, Jimmy Lumapas, Marie Immaline Cortes-Zafra, Jennifer Del Mar, Jesus Arcilla, Editha Flores Cabahug, Oscar Del Castillo, Dante Borbajo and Flueritz Gayle Jumao-as acted as co-proponents of the approved resolution.
Plunder
Last September 24, Ligas asked the Office of the Ombudsman in the Visayas to probe the Dizon couple on allegations of plunder, graft and corruption and the falsification of documents.
READ: Rep. Ouano-Dizon allocates P2.9B worth of projects for Mandaue this year
He alleged that the two took advantage of Rep. Ouano-Dizon’s employment at City Hall to acquire a 2, 500 square meter lot that was part of the 186-hectare north reclamation project implemented by a private developer in 1992.
Cinco-Remedio said that case was also worth looking into by the city government to check on the veracity of the accusations raised by Ligas.
“Pero og wala. So, fine, kung wala ray (truth) unsa to ang aligasyon, wala ra say kaso,” she added.
Dr. Emedio Bustillo, the media consultant of Rep. Ouano-Dizon said on Monday afternoon that the congresswoman is yet to receive a copy of the complaint filed by Ligas.
Righteous
Ouano-Dizon, for her part, said that “it is within their (the Council’s) right to approve any resolution.”
“Pero mangutana lang ko, kay righteous man kaha sila, asa ilang resolution asking for investigation ni suspended City Mayor and all others responsible sa kadaghang disallowances and gi red flag sa COA? Documented ug klaro man ang mga findings sa Commission on Audit kaysa baseless charges ni Edward Ligas. Akong huwaton pod ilang resolution kabahin sa mga COA disallowances sa City,” she said.
In an earlier interview, Ouano-Dizon also expressed confidence that the case will be dismissed asserting that she and her husband have not done “anything wrong or illegal.”
Ouano-Dizon said that she was still a private citizen when the lot purchase was made more than 30 years ago.