Barangay leaders decry smear job on Mark Jimenez

Barangay leaders in the sixth district of Manila issued a resolution over the weekend to condemn what they termed a political hatchet job on Congressman-elect Mark Jimenez by the powerful Ocampo clan which has held sway in that district for three decades.

In a joint resolution signed by some 120 of the 139 barangay chairmen in Manila’s sixth district, local leaders called for a halt to dirty politics in favor of the new brand of politics represented by Rep. Jimenez. The successful former US-based businessman and philantrophist defeated former long-time congressman and councilor Pablo Ocampo in the May 14 elections, to succeed Ocampo’s daughter, three-term Congresswoman Rosenda Ocampo.

Last Friday, members of so-called civil society rallied in front of the DOJ Building to demand the speedy extradition of Congressman-elect Jimenez. The rallyists even brought a piglet dressed in clothes to highlight what they alleged was the betrayal of the Philippine justice system in favor of Jimenez.

However, the barangay chairmen said their investigation showed "beyond reasonable doubt," that the rally was actually the handiwork of the Ocampos.

"The rally was an obvious attempt to mislead the people into thinking that there is a clamor for the extradition of Mark Jimenez. The truth is, the rally was politically motivated and a selfish attempt to thwart the political will of the sovereign people of Manila’s 6th District," read the statement.

Commenting on the joint resolution, chairman Carlos Castañeda, head of the district’s Association of Barangay Chairmen (ABC) said, the local leaders will conduct a probe to determine if those responsible for the rally should be slapped with any civil or criminal liability.

In their resolution, the barangay chairmen bared that key personalities in the rally were positively identified as supporters of the Ocampos. They included one of the rally leaders holding a megaphone, former kagawad Vener Alpapara, who had been the emcee of the Ocampo political rallies during the election. Alpapara was positively identified by Barangay Chairman Reynaldo Ore who, along with longtime Ocampo family driver Wanbol Del Rosario, procured the piglet that was used in the rally.