No forum-shopping on admin complaint vs Aklan mayor?

BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL

ENGR. JONATHAN SALVADOR

The businessman who filed an administrative case against New Washington mayor Edgar Peralta denied he engaged in forum shopping. 

After an alleged identical complaint was filed with the Office of the Ombudsman for the Visayas began circulating on media, Engr. Jonathan Salvador stressed that “it appears there might be a third party that lodged a similar complaint with the Ombudsman by using his case records he filed with the Aklan Sangguniang Panlalawigan."

Salvador is the owner of Metallica Shipyard and the Lagatik river cruise business in New Washington, Aklan. 

 

“Owa gid ako it kopya nga gin file sa Ombudsman sa Cebu. Habatian ku man sa radyo nga may kapareho nga kaso sa Ombudsman nga gin-file ko sa Aklan SP. Owa man gid ako it nalalaman kara. Gina-usisa man namon dayang isyu (I don’t have a copy of the administrative case allegedly filed with the Ombudsman in Cebu. I heard in the radio that a similar complaint I filed with Aklan SP is now being investigated in the Ombudsman),” he said.

“Wala man ako naka execute it affidavit sa Ombudsman.  Nangawa man lang kami ham-an gina pasabat si Mayor Peralta sa Ombudsman ag gina taw-an man ako it mga kopya ko ana nga mga sabat (I did not execute an affidavit with the Ombudsman. I was confused why Mayor Peralta was asked by the Ombudsman to answer an administrative case and I am also furnished of the documents,” he added.

Salvador said, “he had no idea into how the Ombudsman came into being on this case, even though, it is entirely possible that the administrative complaint he filed with Aklan SP could have reached the Ombudsman when he furnished the documents to various government agencies.”

At Wednesday’s regular session, Aklan SP cited grounds why the motion for reconsideration of SP member Rodson Mayor rendered moot and academic.

The administrative case of abuse of authority and oppression filed by Salvador is being investigated by SP member Plaridel Morania for violations of Section 60 of the Local Government Code of 1991.