Caloocan mayor’s accuser asks him to step down

Caloocan Vice Mayor Edgar Erice said Wednesday he would resign should his allegations against Mayor Enrico Echiverri prove to be untrue.

In a complaint he filed against his Liberal Party mate on July 7 with the Office of the Ombudsman, Erice accused the city government of failing to remit more than P38 million worth of contributions made by city government employees to the Government Service Insurance System from July 1997 to December 2002 and January 2007 to December 2010.

On the basis of his complaint, the Ombudsman issued an order earlier this week for the six-month preventive suspension of Echiverri and three more city officials.

This prompted Echiverri to file a motion on Tuesday with the Court of Appeals in which he sought to block the implementation of the suspension order against him.

At the same time, Echiverri told his supporters he would not step not down from office.

In an interview, Erice told the Inquirer, “I will resign as chairman of the Liberal Party, vice mayor and I will not be involved in any political activities in the city if my allegations are found to be false for delicadeza’s sake. I am putting myself on the line here.”

However, Erice said that Echiverri should abide by the Ombudsman’s order so that an independent investigation into the matter could take place.

“Let him show documents to prove his case,” Erice added.

Sought for comment, Echiverri said his vice mayor should resign now.

“As far as I am concerned, his accusations are false,” he told the Inquirer.

At city hall, it was business as usual although around 50 residents were camped outside the building to show their support for the mayor.

“We love you Mayor Recom [the mayor’s nickname]. We’ll support you all the way,” one placard displayed by the group read.

“We will stay here until the suspension order is served, if it will be served,” Ruel Valentino, a barangay (village) councilor, told the Inquirer.

“[We want] to show the mayor that we have his back. Look at Caloocan, it is a cleaner and nicer place now because of the mayor,” Valentino added.