Two more cases vs. city mayor junked

By Joseph Bernard A. Marzan

The Office of the Ombudsman and the Supreme Court dismissed two more cases filed against Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas.

The first case filed by former City Civil Registrar’s Office (CCRO) head Romeo Manikan was junked via a September 7, 2021 joint resolution that was approved by Deputy Ombudsman for Luzon Cornelio Somido, in his capacity as officer-in-charge, on May 8, 2023.

Manikan charged Treñas with the crime of Light Coercion and the administrative offenses of Abuse of Authority and Oppression.

This stemmed from Treñas’ issuance of a show-cause order against Manikan, which was based on an anonymous complaint that alleged that the latter was accepting money to register “questionable” marriages with the CCRO.

The Ombudsman resolution summarized that the allegations against Treñas were insufficient due to a lack of substantial evidence.

“It may be sufficient to point out here (1) that there is no allegation or proof of cruelty, severity or excessive use of authority in the exercise of respondent’s office; (2) that respondent’s act of issuing complainant a show-cause order, whether there exists a formal complaint, to refute the serious accusation of corruption against the complainant in office and to clear his name is part of the respondent’s exercise of discretion in good faith to protect the integrity of public office; and (3) that respondent’s exercise of his office enjoys the legal presumption of regularity which complainant failed to overcome or refute – all these incidents show that respondent did not commit an act of Oppression,” the resolution stated.

This is the third case filed by Manikan that the Ombudsman dismissed. The two others were approved for dismissal on May 8 and 10, respectively.

The latest resolution was authored by Graft Investigation and Prosecution Officer III Jess Vincent Dela Peña on September 7, 2021, reviewed by Assistant Ombudsman for Visayas Carla Juris Tanco, and recommended for approval by Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas Paul Elmer Clemente on October 14, 2021.

Manikan’s brother and lead counsel, lawyer Raleigh Manikan, told Daily Guardian that like the two other cases, they will be filing a Motion for Reconsideration against the dismissal of the third case, but for a different period.

The mayor’s camp also revealed that it received on June 27 the Supreme Court’s notice on its March 22, 2023 resolution, issued by Second Division Clerk of Court Teresita Aquino Tuazon.

The Second Division’s resolution terminated the case filed by Rosita Camacho against the mayor, City Administrator Melchor Tan, and executive assistant Noel Panaguiton, among others.

The dismissal was rendered final and executory after Camacho’s camp failed to file the intended petition for certiorari within the extended period granted by the Court.

“Considering that petitioner has not filed the intended petition for certiorari within the extended period granted in the Resolution dated December 7, 2022 which expired on October 4, 2022, the Court resolves to [inform] the parties that no petition for review has been filed in this case and that the judgment sought to be reviewed has now become final and executory, and [declare] this case [closed] and [terminated],” the SC notice read.