Mandaue City Acting Vice Mayor Nerissa Soon-Ruiz
MANDAUE CITY, Philippines — Acting Mandaue City Vice Mayor Nerissa Soon-Ruiz admitted that the council’s resolution calling for an investigation into Rep. Emmarie Ouano-Dizon and her husband is politically motivated.
Soon-Ruiz also suggested probing the sale of a 3.5-hectare government property in Barangay Looc, Mandaue City, sold for over P1.7 million during Mayor Jonas Cortes’ term around 2015. According to her, the lot was sold for only P50 per square meter, which she emphasized was extremely low.
“Kini ato, dili mani politics, niguwa man ni sa COA…Kinsa may alkanse kundili ang taga Mandaue? Makakita pa kag P50 per square meter dinhi sa Mandaue? Labi na gyud dinhi sa Centro, sa Barangay Looc. So kana unta ila’ng ipa-imbestiga. Kung interest sa city ilaha’ng giprotektahan, mas interest pa sad sa city ug sa taga Mandaue ang ako ipa-imbestigar nila,” said Soon-Ruiz.
To recall, the Mandaue City Council had earlier passed a resolution calling for an investigation into the purchase of a city-owned lot by Ouano-Dizon and her husband, Opao barangay captain Nixon Dizon. Councilor Cynthia Cinco-Remedio, who sponsored the resolution, emphasized that the city government should investigate the matter as it involved a city property.
In response, Ouano-Dizon questioned why the council did not pass a resolution to investigate suspended mayor Cortes and others involved with the disallowances flagged by the Commission on Audit (COA). She argued that the COA red flags should be investigated, as these are documented issues, unlike the “baseless” accusations made by broadcaster Edward Ligas against her.
Ligas had accused the Ouano-Dizon couple of illegally acquiring a 2,500-square-meter lot, part of the 186-hectare reclamation contract between the Mandaue City Government and a private developer in 1992. The property, allegedly located in Barangay Centro, was purportedly under the ownership of Mandaue City.
However, Councilor Cinco-Remedio countered that Ouano-Dizon is attempting to deflect the issue.
In a text message to CDN Digital, she clarified that there was no need to investigate the COA disallowances, as it is part of the audit body’s regular process to make observations. Cinco-Remedio further noted that the audit observations have already been addressed and complied with, so no further investigation is necessary. She emphasized that COA’s checks and balances ensure proper governance.
Moreover, she pointed out that there is no criminal implication in the COA observations, while the case filed by Ligas involves a city property. In the interest of Mandaue City, she believes it is crucial to investigate the claim to determine its validity.
“The fact that our congresswoman, who is one of the accused in this case along with her husband, is deflecting the issue is alarming. As a public servant, she should not be afraid to confront the allegations head-on and respond transparently,” said Cinco-Remedio.
“Ang ako lang ani kay gipaklaro gyud nga dili ni pagpana-ot nila. Naa man kaso gisang-at bahin ani, ato lang ipaimbestigar for the best interest of the City,” she added.