They don't learn

Hole of Justice

By Peter G. Jimenea

They don’t learn

This writer got a copy of an Order from the Ombudsman-Visayas addressed to a barangay captain, his barangay secretary, barangay treasurer and five barangay kagawad. All are officials of Barangay Ingore, La Paz, Iloilo City, charged under OMB-V-C-11-0511-1 and OMB-V-A-11-0608-1 respectively.

It stemmed from the complaint of Charity Montelijao, also a barangay kagawad of Ingore, who claimed the barangay captain and all the other barangay officials approved the repair of their Barangay Hall for P320,000 without the proper bidding.

They are Brgy. Captain Jonathan Jalandoni, Brgy. Treasurer Evelyn Villegas and Brgy. Secretary Raylen Llego. The six barangay kagawad are Edelin Gargaceran, Rolando Montelijao, Edna Jacosalem, Rodrigo Jiz, Enrique Tayco and SK Milca Jaena.

The contract is said to have been prepared by the respondents in collusion with the contractor who have no Philgeps accreditation.  They produced a fake copy of the document to justify their action in spending the money. This, we have yet to know.

Jalandoni is a political ally of Cong. Jerry Trenas of the Lone District, Iloilo City.  If my memory serves me right, Jalandoni is the same person who was linked to unauthorized issuance of checks under bank account of the barangay. This is still pending at the Office of the Ombudsman.

As far as I can recall, the bailbond recommended by the Ombudsman for this criminal offense is P30,000 per case for each person involved.  Thirty-thousand pesos without the ready cash is not good for the heart. This procedure is used only to secure, not override substantial justice.

A mestiza- emissary (tibo) is said to have been tapped by the group to settle this case at the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas. But Deputy Ombudsman Pelagio Apostol is already in the pot, why jumps into the fire? Their office had history of judicial remedies subjected to “over-use”, “misuse” or “abuse.” Would he dare?

Besides, Apostol is now slowly becoming a marked-target of negative tirades by irate journalists in Iloilo City for his turtle-pace handling of the reinvestigation of Cong. Trenas’ involvement in the Pavia Housing Scam. The P137M for 413 units of houses without a unit completed is what got us all so excited about!

The respondents should take a cue from Cong. Trenas how he easily got-off the hook than former Mayor Mansueto Malabor does. The indictment of Malabor by Overall Deputy Ombudsman Orlando Casimiro last year, extended the time for the re-investigation of his’ involvement in the case.

But the ball is now in the hands of Deputy Ombudsman Pelagio Apostol. The documents at his office about the Pavia Housing Scam had already spoken injuria non praesumitur – a wrong is not presumed and what we feared most is his mora decidendi – the deliberate delay in deciding this case (370 SCRA 658).


Sad to say, but almost if not all of our barangay officials are already affected by the
most contagious virus that struck the Philippine government – corruption.  It is a system that if you stand up to go against will earn you more enemies among colleagues and friends.

Fighting this system will isolate you from the many and you’ll wake up the only poor in a room full of rich colleagues. Sad to say, the city DILG reprimanded the complainant-kagawad Montelijao as playing politics. The man must have been swallowed by the system too, and I know, this claim makes sense!

But as others don’t learn from mistakes, so, they finally get the spanking they deserved for being stupid. Well, I hope to have made your day in this column. You ask for it, unlike me and Dirty Harry who ask others to make our day!