Mariveles Mayor Jocelyn Castañeda. FB photograb
MARIVELES, Bataan — Partido Balikatan of Bataan with some of its volunteers and some village leaders on Wednesday announced that they have filed various charges against reelectionist Mayor Jocelyn Castañeda of this town.
The mayor, on the other hand, said that she has not received any subpoena or summon yet and that her group would file vote-buying cases against their rival. She claimed that they already have documents and what they needed were those who will make the statement.
Lawyer Pyke Laygo, Balikatan campaign manager, said the cases they filed were grave coercion, slight illegal detention and trespassing while the barangay leaders in their personal capacity filed trespassing charges.
Gov. Albert Garcia is chair of Partido Balikatan that supports the mayoral bid of former Mariveles Mayor Atty. Ace Jelo Concepcion.
Laygo said filing trespassing charges were Barangay Camaya chairman Amado Dimafiles, Barangay Sisiman chairman Honesto Cabanillas and Barangay Ipag chairman Rodito Luyo and wife Lolita.
He said that four Balikatan volunteers have already filed charges and they were waiting for others who may also decide to file cases against the mayor and other suspects.
“Kinakabahan ako sa pag-uwi dahil hindi ko alam kung ano ang puwedeng mangyari lalo na sa pagpasok sa trabaho. Ang isinampa kong kaso ay grave coercion, slight physical detention and two slander cases,” said Balikatan volunteer Rodel James Manrique.
“Naalarma ako, natakot, kinabahan at lahat ng pwedeng maramdaman ay naramdaman ko dahil hindi namin kilala ang mga dumating na tao bukod kay mayora pero hindi namin ipinapakita at ipinaparamdam na natatakot kami dahil totoong wala kaming ginagawang masama noong oras na iyon,” said another Baliktatan volunteer Alexandria Damo.
They said that the mayor and some companions suddenly barged into their work place and confiscated Balikatan IDs or cards they were issuing.
Castañeda insisted that the issuance of the cards was a vote-buying scheme.
Laygo explained that Partido Balikatan is not involved in vote-buying, He said that it is a legitimate political party and the distribution of IDs and the holding of voter’s education was legal.
The mayor said their group does not resort to vote-buying and they wanted a clean election and a clean victory in the polls.
Castañeda called on the national government, particularly the Philippine National Police, to replace the newly-assigned chief of police in Mariveles.
“Pinalitan ang hepe ng pulisya against my will dahil hindi man lang ako kinunsulta, na bigla na lang pinalitan. Bilang isang mayor na deputized by the Napolcom, dapat entitled ako to choose my own chief of police at pribelehiyo ko ito bilang nanalong mayor pero ipinagkakait sa akin ito,” she said.
The mayor also wanted the municipal election officer assigned in Mariveles replaced by the Commission on Elections.
“Nananawagan po ako sa Comelec national, kay chairman Pangarungan, na palitan ninyo po ang aming Comelec officer. Naniniwala pa rin ako sa hustisya, naniniwala pa rin ako sa ating mga national agencies na hindi kukunsintihin ang ganitong katiwalian sa bayan ng Mariveles sa darating na halalan,” Castañeda said.
“Kaya sana bago mahuli ang lahat, may oras pa naman, palitan niyo na ang aming Comelec officer dito sa bayan ng Mariveles at ganon din ang itinalaga ng provincial police office na hepe ng pulisya,” she added.
“Nakikiusap ako sa national government, wala na akong ibang malalapitan dahil alam kong limitado na ang aking kakayahan bilang mayor pero ako ay naninindigan at nagsasabi ng katotohanan kaya parang awa niyo na po tulungan niyo kami sa bayan ng Mariveles,” Castañeda appealed.
