Politicians in power for 32 years accused of harassment

GALENZOGA photo by EDWIN BACASMAS

The arraignment of 57 people sued for sedition by Baybay City Mayor Carmen Cari has been deferred amid accusations of political harassment against Cari, a Liberal Party (LP) member.

Judge Carlos Arguelles, of the Leyte Regional Trial Court Branch 14, agreed to defer the arraignment of the respondents that include Cari’s political rival and United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) candidate, Malot Galenzoga, after Galenzoga’s lawyers protested the filing of the charge based on “incomplete preliminary investigation.”

Charged with Galenzoga were her sister, Mila, and her husband, Conrad, and brother Marciano.

Lawyers Dennis Chua and Levito Baligod said the filing of the charge was railroaded and made without waiting for the expiration of a 15-day period for the respondents to seek reconsideration.

Rosulo Vivero, head of the city prosecutor’s office, denied the irregularity.

Galenzoga, her relatives and nearly 700 supporters were charged after they held a rally on June 30, 2013, to protest the proclamation of Cari, whose family ruled Baybay for 32 years, as winner of the mayoralty race.

According to Galenzoga, Cari was proclaimed winner despite only 25 percent of votes being counted.

Galenzoga had accused Cari of using her influence as an LP member to send soldiers and policemen to assault her house at 2 a.m. last July 1. “It was an overkill,” Galenzoga said.

The assault, said Galenzoga, forced her and her sister to flee for their lives.

“We were forced to escape and swim through the mangroves because we feared for our lives,” Galenzoga said.

Cari’s son, Michael, is the vice mayor and another son, Carlos, is House representative. Dominic Petilla, nephew of Cari, is Leyte governor and the vice governor, Carlo Loreto, is also a nephew of Cari.