Maliksi snubs dialogue with Remulla

Camp Vicente Lim, Laguna — Suspended Cavite Gov. Ireneo "Ayong" Maliksi snubbed yesterday an invitation by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) for a dialogue with Vice Gov. Juanito Victor Remulla in an apparent move to defuse the impasse at the provincial Capitol in Trece Martires City.

In his behalf, Maliksi sent Chief Inspector Eduardo Untalan, police chief of Trece Martinez, to the 10 a.m. meeting here which was called by DILG Region 4 director Leonilo Lariosa.

Present during the meeting were Remulla, Chief Superintendent Jesus Versoza, Calabarzon police director; and Superintendent Benjardi Mantele, Cavite police director.

Maliksi said he decided to send Untalan so Lariosa would not feel that he had completely ignored the invitation.

Maliksi has holed up at the provincial Capitol since Deputy Ombudsman for Luzon Victor Fernandez suspended him for six months last week in connection with the administrative complaint which Remulla filed against him.

Last Monday, Maliksi filed a petition with the Court of Appeals, asking it to stop his suspension order.

He said he would wait for the appellate court’s decision before deciding on his next move.

"Mahirap na, baka masalisihan pa," he said.

Maliksi has insisted that Fernandez did not give him a chance to rebut Remulla’s allegations that there were irregularities in the purchase of P7.5 million worth of rice last October.

Versoza, who hosted the dialogue, said the only role of the police in the political conflict in Cavite is to maintain peace and order and follow the rule of law.

For his part, Lariosa said they would try to fix the problem between Maliksi and Remulla, but he did not elaborate.

"We are not applying any timeframe in resolving this problem. We are just hoping that we could resolve it in a peaceful manner," he said.

Versoza said Remulla, who has taken his oath of office as acting governor, would discharge his functions as such at the vice governor’s office.

The present impasse at the provincial Capitol has prompted the DILG and the police to put up action and monitoring centers there.

"We would exhaust all peaceful means to resolve the stand-off at the Capitol," Versoza said. — With Cecille Suerte Felipe and Ed Amoroso