--Booker T. Washington
By Alex P. Vidal
NEW YORK CITY -- Does the bad blood between former mayor Vicente “Bugok” Ramirez of Lambunao, Iloilo and the Gonzales father and son--former mayor Reynor and incumbent mayor Jayson--transcend beyond politics?
The question surfaced because hardly had the disqualification case 74-year-old Ramirez filed against Mayor Jayson Gonzales simmered down (the mayor has appealed the decision of the Commission on Elections in February this year which disqualified him for lack of residency), Ramirez came out swinging anew with another hatchet.
He wanted the Office of the Ombudsman to throw the books at the Gonzaleses for "unliquidated" cash advances, the latest of which was in 2016 totaling P8.983 million in a complaint he filed on June 26, 2018.
Ramirez had also filed a similar complaint against Mayor Jason’s dad in 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015, according to reports.
Ramirez’s problem is that no matter how he wanted to paint the Gonzaleses as bad guys, majority of the people in Lambunao believe otherwise.
I have yet to meet a Lambunao resident who will say (even in strict confidentiality) that Mayor Jason Gonzales is corrupt and inept.
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We have nothing against Ramirez’s latest fusillade against Mayor Gonzales, but some observers, especially the people of Lambunao, might suspect he is “politicking” since all the cases that were thrown against the Gonzaleses father and son, so far, came only from one person: Bugok Ramirez.
Although there is no law that prohibits the likes of Ramirez from peppering certain public officials with Ombudsman cases, the fact that Bugok Ramirez has been identified as the Gonzaleses’ veritable political “whipping boy” in Lambunao makes the entire brouhaha look like a charade.
If political enemies of the Gonzaleses think they have the “smoking gun” and want the people to believe them lock, stock, and barrel, they shouldn’t focus on Ramirez as the lone “gunner” when emptying their bullets.
To make their cases more sound and credible, they should let other personalities “who can go to court with clean hands” file them, not the recycled, overused and tainted Ramirez.
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Ramirez wanted the younger Gonzales criminally and administratively charged respectively for alleged violation of Article 218 and Article 217 of the Revised Penal Code and for dishonesty, gross misconduct, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, and grave abuse of authority.
Also included in Ramirez’s charge sheets were the town’s municipal accountant; municipal treasurer; individual officials and/or employees granted with the unliquidated cash advance; signatory to the obligation request (ObR); and other public officials and employees who signed the disbursement vouchers and other supporting documents of the subject transactions.
Mayor Jason Gonzales was prepared to face Ramirez’s accusations, according to some reports.
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Like many Ilonggo soccer fans, we will continue to follow the nerve-tingling 2018 FIFA World Cup matches until the semifinals and the finals.
These are the remaining matches entering the round of 16 as of this writing: Brazil versus Mexico; Spain versus Russia; Croatia versus Denmark; Colombia versus England; Sweden versus Switzerland; Japan versus Belgium.
All matches are getting exciting and thrilling now that Argentina and Germany have been given the doors.
My eyes are always on Croatia, Spain, Belgium.
I hope to see one of the three in the finals.
Ramirez wanted the younger Gonzales criminally and administratively charged respectively for alleged violation of Article 218 and Article 217 of the Revised Penal Code and for dishonesty, gross misconduct, conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, and grave abuse of authority.
Also included in Ramirez’s charge sheets were the town’s municipal accountant; municipal treasurer; individual officials and/or employees granted with the unliquidated cash advance; signatory to the obligation request (ObR); and other public officials and employees who signed the disbursement vouchers and other supporting documents of the subject transactions.
Mayor Jason Gonzales was prepared to face Ramirez’s accusations, according to some reports.
-o0o-
Like many Ilonggo soccer fans, we will continue to follow the nerve-tingling 2018 FIFA World Cup matches until the semifinals and the finals.
These are the remaining matches entering the round of 16 as of this writing: Brazil versus Mexico; Spain versus Russia; Croatia versus Denmark; Colombia versus England; Sweden versus Switzerland; Japan versus Belgium.
All matches are getting exciting and thrilling now that Argentina and Germany have been given the doors.
My eyes are always on Croatia, Spain, Belgium.
I hope to see one of the three in the finals.
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