SC upholds appellate court rulings in Cagayan de Oro mayor's cases
OSCAR MORENO. The Cagayan de Oro mayor was the subject of a dismissal order by the Ombudsman. Rappler file photo
MANILA, Philippines – The Supreme Court (SC) recently dismissed a petition against Court of Appeals (CA) justices in Mindanao handling the case of Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Oscar Moreno.
The SC cleared CA associate justices Henri Jean Paul Inting, Edgardo Camello, and Pablito Perez from accusations they committed gross ignorance of the law, grave abuse of authority, gross misconduct, and manifest impartiality, among others, for issuing a temporary restraining order (TRO) against Moreno's dismissal from office.
The CA had stopped the implementation of the Ombudsman's order to dismiss and perpetually disqualify from public office Moreno and former acting city treasurer Glenn Bañez for allegedly entering into a tax settlement agreement with Ajinomoto Philippines in 2013 without city council authorization.
In a resolution dated July 25, 2017, but publicized only recently, the SC said that complainant Clemente Atoc “had no clear interest in the filing of the case against the three Justices.”
The High Court added that the issurance of a TRO “was a judicial issue and not a proper subject of an administrative case.”
In another case, the SC also denied the petition for certiorari questioning the TRO and Writ of Preliminary Injunction on another Ombudsman ruling that meted a 3-month suspension against Moreno and two other officials.
The 3 officials allegedly misused city hall funds by entering into a contract for the lease of a house that served as training quarters of boxers under the city’s sports program. – Rappler.com
