Apologize or face disbarment

CEBU, Philippines - Mayor Maria Luisa Loot is giving Cebu Provincial Attorney Marino Martinquilla fifteen days to issue a public apology to the local government of Daanbantayan or face a disbarment case before the Supreme Court.

According to Loot, Martinquilla misled the public when he said the mayor’s closure of 29 cemeteries was “illegal, null and void”.

“Bisa’g on air or i-publish niya ang iyang statement sa newspaper, okay ra ko ana. Apologize to the local government of Daanbantayan, not to Mayor Loot kay wa siya’y personal nako nga atraso si Martinquilla. Ang atraso niya ang lungsod ug ang balaud nga iyang gitu-is ang Sanitation Code. Mao na iyang atraso, pero nako wala. Gitagaan nako siya og fifteen days kay kung di mo-file ko og disbarment ngadto sa Supreme Court,” Loot said in an interview over radio dyRC.

Loot, who is facing administrative charges before the Provincial Board for the closure of the cemeteries, said she wants the PB to also investigate Martinquilla for “not knowing the law”.

The mayor said she also filed a complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman last Wednesday against Martinquilla and Atty. Richie Capaje for violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

“Di man na maayo nga mga abogado ignorante sa balaud nya magpataka-taka lang,” Loot said.

Martinquilla, in a phone interview, said he will not apologize and he will face any charges Loot and the Daanbantayan officials may file against him.

“I’ll face any charges. No way will I say sorry,” Martinquilla said in a telephone interview.

 On Monday, Loot said, she will be sending a letter to answer Martinquilla’s statement that she has no authority as mayor to close the cemeteries. In her letter, she cited her reasons and basis for the closure but also gave Martinquilla fifteen days upon receipt of the said letter, to issue a public apology to the people of Daanbantayan on air and through the media.

“Abogado ka unya magsuwat ka’g ingon ana? Dapat magtuon ka og insaktong balaud, di nimo i-mislead ang mga tawo,” Loot said. She pointed out that she is not afraid to go against the Provincial Attorney or the Provincial Government because she is only standing up for what is right.

“I don’t care. Anyway, Maria Luisa Loot is elected by the people. Dili ko empleyado sa gobyerno, not like him. So dili siya magsulti og ingon ana kay siya wa’y kaso niya kay empleyado ra man siya. Dili man siya gi-elect sa mga tawo nga mudala diha, not like me nga duna koy dako nga responsibilidad sa akong lungsod unya sayun-sayunon lang ko ana niya og tamak-tamak? Kinsa gu’y nag-ingon niya?”

She said Martinquilla is a “mere employee” of the government and a lawyer so he should not mislead the people.

Loot added that being a lawyer, Martinquilla should have thought of the legal implications of what he wrote.

“Unsaon pa man pagbilib nato anang tawo’ng bogo? Bogo uy, bogo nga abogado nagpataka lang og suwat. Iya unta’ng gihunahuna og maayo ang iyang gisuwat kay abogado man kaha siya? Daghang tawo wa’y kalibutan sa balaud unya imo pa gyud nga i-mislead?” Loot said.

She said she was just doing her responsibility as mayor when she gave the order to temporary close cemeteries for failure to comply with the requirements under the law.

The mayor said she also responded to the Department of Health’s request for assistance for the closure of unauthorized burial grounds as stated in the Sanitation Code where LGUs shall initiate and recommend for the closure of congested cemeteries that pose imminent danger to public health.

“Akong tan-aw gisakyan ra man gud ni sa politika. I know that everybody knows kami ni Gwen do not have good relations. Abogado ka, naa ka’s gobyerno, naa ka’s probinsiya. Ato unta i-educate ang mga tawo sa sakto nga balaud. Siguro sa gibuhat ni Martinquilla para siya makasipsip kang Gwen, iyang gi-suicide ang iyang pagka-abogado,” Loot added. 

Loot added that she is willing to go to the Supreme Court because she is not scared and wants clarifications on the mayors and their duties and responsibilities in implementing the law.

The mayor fears this will become a precedent for other LGUs where the mayors will just be dictated by what she called as Martinquilla’s “false opinions.” (FREEMAN)