Former Mayor Parayno is joined by Barangay chairman Jessie de Vera. (Cesar Ramirez)

FORMER Mangaldan Mayor Bonafe Parayno vehemently denied allegation of Presidential Adviser Secretary Raul Lambino that she was behind the filing of the rape and maltreatment cases before the Ombudsman, and chided him not only for his contradicting statements about the rape case that implicated him as the perpetrator and false statements about other persons.

She cited his claim that the complainant mother and daughter, as well as the head of a group that assisted the two in filing complaints against Lambino and his wife were liars, then believed in them “when they thanked me for allegedly helping them”.

Parayno called in a press conference on January 19 at her Grand Pavillon Hotel in Mangaldan, four days after the Lambinos accused Parayno as the one behind the daughter and mother who complained of rape against him and maltreatment against his wife, Marilyn Lambino, mayor of Mangaldan town, before the Ombudsman.

The former mayor said it was convenient for Lambino for his defense to add political color to the scandal.

In his earlier press conference in his home in Barangay Buenlag, Mangaldan last January 16 that was uploaded on Facebook, an irate Lambino threatened to file cases against those who dragged him and his wife into the controversy, and libel suits against all media personalities who published and aired the alleged fabricated story, to the extent of labeling the media men who besmirched his reputation as “terrorists” and “prostitutes”.

“For the record, I do not know Rosela and Maricar (names of the complainants), Parayno said, as she also denied knowing any one from the Citizens Movement against Crime, Corruption, Illegal Drugs and Gambling, Inc., nor was she aware of the group’s existence, and she only learned of the controversy about Sec. Raul in the media.

She added the ploy of Lambino was similar to the initial defense of former Rep. Romeo Jalosjos and the late Mayor Antonio Sanchez when they were cited in rape cases.

Parayno, who is seeking to return to her old post as Mangaldan mayor in the  next election, underscored that she has no intention to use the controversy as smear campaign during her electoral race against Lambino’s wife Marilyn, who is running for a second term of office as Mangaldan mayor.

“Our rivalry is on leadership. Who between us could best serve the people of Mangaldan in terms of leadership, and character assassination is never part of the campaign,” Parayno intoned.

Fervently hoping that the truth will prevail, Parayno stressed that if Secretary Lambino is innocent, he may be able to prove this in his defense, but if he is guilty, he should suffer the penalty, adding that “no woman deserves such inhumane treatment especially from a high-ranking government official”.

At the same time, Parayno called on the Lambinos to stop making false accusations about his staff Salvador de Guzman that he is the same “Salvador de Guzman”, the chairman of the Citizens Movement against Crime, Corruption. Illegal Drugs and Gambling, Inc. when in fact he is a different person.

De Guzman, former two-time kagawad of Barangay Amansabina, Mangaldan and manager of a local funeral parlor, denounced the Lambinos for his false accusations to mislead the public.

Also in that press conference were former Kapitan of Buenlag, Mangaldan Sofronio Tambalque and Bong de Vera, who both were named by Lambino as having participated in the filing of the cases against them. (Leonardo Micua)

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