3 PDP-Laban execs sued over Cebu meet

CEBU, Philippines —  A private citizen has filed before the Office of the Ombudsman an administrative complaint against three PDP (Partido Demokratiko Pilipino)-Laban officials, who are also government executives, for participating in a partisan political activity held in Cebu last May 31.

Named respondents in a 17-page complaint filed by Victor Morillo, a resident of Quezon City and advocate for greater public accountability, were Raul Lambino, Presidential Adviser for Northern Luzon, Administrator of the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority and PDP-Laban Vice President for External Affairs; Melvin Matibag, President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Transportation Corporation who is also PDP-Laban’s Deputy Secretary-General; and Undersecretary Astravel Pimentel-Naik, Executive Director of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas and part of the PDP-Laban’s Membership Committee.

 Morillo alleged that respondents engaged in a prohibited political activity under Executive Order No. 292 or the Administrative Code of 1987, during the PDP-Laban National Council Meeting held in Cebu City on May 31, 2021.

 It pointed out that the meeting’s agenda was to urge President Rodrigo Duterte to run for vice president in 2022 elections.

“The respondents violated the prohibition on partisan political activity for officers and employees of the civil service. Law and jurisprudence had stated clear exceptions for public officers and employees participating in partisan political activities,” the complaint read.

Morillo cited that “the provisions of the Administrative Code of 1987 and the Omnibus Election Code, expressly exclude civil officers or employees who hold political offices from the prohibition against engaging in any election campaign or partisan political activity.”

Further, he said, “The respondents are not members of the Cabinet. Neither are they among the other exceptions for permissible partisan political activity under law and jurisprudence.”

The complaint also read, “During the PDP-Laban National Council Meeting, the three respondents certainly made speeches, announcements for the purpose of undertaking the election of President Duterte as Vice President for the 2022 national elections.”

 “All of these utterances are within the prohibition on political commentaries, speeches, announcements, and interview by non-excepted members of the civil service.”

Morillo asked the anti-graft office to order the preventive suspension of Lambino, Matibag and Pimentel-Naik as well as the dismissal from the service of the three for performing acts contrary to law.

He said the Ombudsman should also order the cancellation of eligibility, forfeiture of retirement benefits and perpetual disqualification for re-employment in government service of the three respondents.

 “In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, crisis and rotational brownouts, government officials still have the time to engage in partisan political activity. What we want is for them to prioritize and give solutions to the people’s problems,” Morillo said. — FPL (FREEMAN)