Braganza: What plunder case?
CLAIMS BLACK PROPAGANDA
A REQUEST for investigation, not charges for plunder.
This clarification was made by Alaminos City Mayor Hernani Braganza last week in a press conference he called in Dagupan City after local and national media reported that a plunder case has been filed against him before the Ombudsman by several barangay chairmen from his city.
“Until today I do not know if I was sued of plunder or I was a victim of black propaganda only because until today we have yet to receive a copy of an alleged complaint by some barangay captains and former barangay captains of the city of Alaminos in the Office of the Ombudsman,” said Braganza.
Nonetheless, the mayor stressed that he is ready to be investigated saying, “I will face it squarely as a real man.”
The mayor’s legal counsel, lawyer Bodie Pulido, said during the press conference that the issue should have been treated “confidentially” and not disclosed to the media because it was only a request for investigation and not a plunder case.
“I don’t want to call this a case, I’d rather call it a circus,” Pulido said.
His co-counsel, Efren Moncupa, added, “For us lawyers, this is misrepresentation and an utter falsehood, an invention.”
Braganza himself joked, “Politics is more fun in Pangasinan.”
PERJURY
But Braganza is taking the matter seriously as he prepares to file a perjury case before the court against the 15 barangay chairmen who are accusing him of pocketing P4.7 billion in public funds from a school, hospital and the airport project.
“On the allegation/assumption that I pocketed P4.7 billion and only P2.4 was the total amount of the city government in the entire eight years I was mayor, that means simple mathematics would show this is illogical,” he said.
He said construction work is ongoing in the infrastructure projects in question.
Braganza, who is running for governor in the May elections, tagged his accusers as “political lieutenants of his political rival,” referring to re-electionist Gov. Amado Espino Jr.
“Definitely I will file a case against them. Either I see them in court or I see them in hell,” the mayor said.
Those who signed the complaint are: Incumbent village chiefs Samuel Alcantara Sr., Ronald Bautista, Ester Bernal, Victor Ranches, Jessie Racraquin, Trinidad Soriano, Joffrey Orfinada, Eusibio Fronda, Jose Regatcho, Milagros Payas, Mario Rabadon; and former barangay chairmen Antonio Cortez, Carlito Ravarra, Alex Recosana, and Ronald Bernas.
Respondents along with Braganza are Councilors Oscar Boling, Earl James Aquino, Joselito Fontelera, Constante Carasi, Filemon Bacala Jr., Emerlina Ravarra, and Moriah Diorella Ranoy; city administrator Wilmer Panabang; city treasurer Shirley de la Cruz; city budget officer Rowena Ruiz; city accountant Emelyn Acosta; city engineer Ismael Najera; engineer Roel Anonuevo of the city planning and development office; and Lyndon Millan of the public order and safety office.
Braganza explained that the village chiefs submitted perjurious statements before the Ombudsman because “how can they claim that they have personal knowledge of the allegations when what they submitted to the Ombudsman were merely lifted from the Alaminos City website and from the accomplishment report of our City Engineer’s Office?”
He also noted that his accusers were accompanied during the press conference they held in Quezon City by their lawyer Abraham Espejo, who is also the lead counsel of Governor Amado Espino Jr. in a plunder case filed by Bugallon Mayor Rodrigo Orduña for allegedly receiving P90-million from jueteng operations in the province.
Espejo, meanwhile, defended that it was “coincidence” that he is representing the two parties.
“Well in fairness ho wala hong paki alam dito si governor, in fairness ho hindi naman po sya nakialam dito,” Espejo said over a local radio program.
But Braganza, in an interview with The PUNCH, said it is “unbelievable it was mere coincidence… I’d like to believe that Atty. Espejo is a good lawyer and not a good liar.”
PIO REACTION
Meanwhile, in a press statement issued Friday, Provincial Information Officer Butch Velasco lambasted Braganza and defended the governor.
“While Braganza keeps on spewing out derogatory remarks against the governor, the chief executive of the province continues to exert extra-efforts in serving the people of Pangasinan and to pursue the vision of the province as the best place to invest, work, live and raise a family,” Velasco said.
Velasco also insists that there is a plunder case against Braganza and that he should be focusing on that instead of calling on media conferences.
Velasco said “Braganza just wanted to divert the issue and provoked the governor to answer back.”
“But the governor is not taking the bait,” Velasco added. —Eva Visperas
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