CA grants Lipa city mayor’s appeal
THE Court of Appeals (CA) granted the appeal of Mayor Meynardo Sabili of Lipa City, Batangas for review of the one-year suspension order without pay meted him by the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with a former municipal officer’s complaint.
In a 19-page decision, the CA’s Fourth Division reversed and set aside the Ombudsman’s decision against Sabili and city administrator Leo Latido, and made permanent the temporary restraining order it issued on August 9, 2018.
The suspension order stemmed from the complaint filed by Teresita Pesa, former head of the City Social Welfare and Development Office, against Sabili and Latido for
Oppression and Conduct Prejudicial to the Best Interest of the Service and grave abuse of authority in connection with her reassignment.
But Pesa later filed a letter-appeal in the form of an affidavit of desistance withdrawing her complaint against the mayor and Latido.
Meanwhile, Sabili, who is serving his last term, filed his certificate of candidacy (CoC) for representative of the lone district of Lipa under the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) to face Rep. Vilma Santos-Recto in the May 2019 elections.
On Wednesday morning, Sabili’s wife Bernadette, who lost to Santos-Recto in the 2016 elections, filed her CoC for mayor of Lipa.
Convinced that the case filed against him was politically motivated, Sabili then called on Senator Ralph Recto to stop meddling in the affairs of the Lipa City government after he received information that Recto has been pressuring the Department of Interior and Local Government to immediately serve his suspension order.
On Wednesday Sabili said he received a call from the NPC saying they are canceling his nomination upon the request of Recto.
”I’m wondering why they wanted me to be without a party. Because whatever happens to a candidate belonging to a party, in case he wants to withdraw [from the race], has the advantage of filing for a substitution, but this is not possible if you’re running as an independent,” Sabili said.
He added that the scenario is a repeat of 2016 when he was kicked out of the Liberal Party. He managed to register under the National Unity Party (NUP) but his nomination was also revoked the day after.
In the absence of a political party, Sabili will run as an independent candidate in the 2019 polls.
When asked for comment, spokesman for Recto, Aries Liwag said, “The good senator is now attending an Inter-parliament Union in Switzerland. He left last October 12.”
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