PEZA-Mactan officials, cops face criminal, admin raps at Ombuds

An owner of a restaurant at the Mactan Export Proceesing Zone yesterday filed at the Ombudsman criminal and administrative complaints against top management and police officials and agency workers of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority-Mactan.

Restaurant owner Reynaldo Linao, with his lawyer Franklin Camasura, charged PEZA-Mactan officials and workers for demolishing last October 6 the building of his restaurant Esting's Place without a court order.

Respondents of the case are PEZA-Mactan's administrator Sansaluna Pinagayao, legal counsel Rufino San Juan, general services manager Rolando Patalinghug, and police chief Nilo dela Serna.

Also included were 10 personnel of the PEZA-Mactan Police and 20 workers of PEZA-Mactan Agency.

Linao said the complaints he filed covered offenses namely, conduct unbecoming of public officers, gross abuse of authority, usurpation of public authority, illegal use of public funds and property, and violation of conduct and ethical standards.

His restaurant, located inside MEPZ 1, has been in operation since 1979, said Camasura, adding that it was demolished with neither a court order nor a resolution from the PEZA-Mactan board of trustees.

The demolition came after Pinagayao sent a letter informing Linao that a PEZA-Mactan project would be constructed soon in the area. There was no proof of such project however and neither was there a board resolution allocating money for such project.

"It was perpetrated at the behest of Pinagayao, San Juan, who were obviously advancing the personal and proprietary interests of Patalinghug, who chairs the MEPZ cooperative, which is also engaged in restaurant business but is earning less compared to the restaurant owned by the complainant [sic]," Camasura said.

Linao said he leased of the building for which monthly rent he had been "religiously" paying until last September.

The demolition cost him damages amounting to P350,000 including P12,000 in expected daily gross earnings from October 6 to date. - Ramil V. Ayuman