Galenzoga Rebuttal:Village chief “abuses her authority”

BAYBAY CITY, Philippines  â€” Pomponan Barangay Chair Veneranda “Dayang” Martinez committed “grave abuse of authority,” alleged UNA mayoralty bet Marilou “Malot” Veloso Galenzoga in response to the allegations of the village official about the March 17 incident, which was published in the April 1 issue of Banat News.

In the news article, written in the local dialect, Martinez threatened to file a case of harassment against Galenzoga for allegedly disrupting the Lingaw-lingaw sa Baybay, an amateur singing contest of re-electionist Mayor Carmen Cari, at the barangay’s basketball gym.

Martinez, an ally of Cari, further accused Malot and her supporters of allegedly destroying the sound system and lighting setup of Cari’s camp, harassing the latter’s men and taking over the venue by force that allegedly even hurt her in the process. She said that she had this incident recorded in the City Police blotter.

Galenzoga denied that she harassed the barangay and Cari’s men. She admitted though that her personnel were able to enter the venue and, after more than an hour, set up their own equipment for the Team Malot forum. However, Cari’s personnel at that time have already packed up their things and left the place, she said.

“The videos and pictures we have showed that it was a peaceful takeover. No one threw away plastic chairs at Cari’s supporters like what Dayang (Martinez) told to the media,” Galenzoga said. “She (Martinez) started it (the commotion),” she added while daring the official to name in public who unplugged the sound system and lightings of Cari’s personnel.

Galenzoga’s team Malot was supposed to use the gym on that night for a scheduled forum with barangay residents, but trouble arose when Martinez allowed Cari to have her event at the same time and in the same venue.

Both the Malot and Cari camps were reportedly granted permits for their respective activities, but Martinez wanted to stop Galenzoga’s men from using the venue by preventing them from posting tarpaulins and streamers and bringing inside their sound system for the slated event.

Martinez, insisting her power as village chief, stood firm that she was giving the Cari administration the authority to use the gym, and no other.

”I have the authority over this gym because I am the barangay captain. I am the owner of this. Ma’am Carmen also owns this because she is the mayor,” she told Galenzoga’s supporters in the dialect, as shown in a video footage taken by the latter’s camp at the time.

Galenzoga said her supporters and slate entered the gym to insist on their rights to use it, having paid the rental on March 4, much ahead that of Cari’s, as evidenced by the original receipt—shown to The Freeman by Pomponan Councilman Regalado Decena Jr,—issued by barangay treasurer Ma. Corazon Lariosa, in acknowledgment of the payment.

The Team Malot members insisted they were the legal user of the gym at the time because they had it reserved for the March 17 barangay forum by paying the rent of P400 on March 4, while the Cari camp paid its rent for the venue only on March 14, as shown also by the OR copy from Lariosa.

Galenzoga’s lawyer Ryan Albino told The Freeman that Martinez, if she had wanted not to accommodate the Team Malot, should have rejected the latter’s application to use the venue and denied outright the rent payment. He added that, by granting Galenzoga the right to use the gym, her men and supporters have to insist on using it unless there was a court order to stop them.

Galenzoga’s supporters emerged from different corners and gathered at the middle of the gym surrounding the supporters of Cari, including Martinez herself. Other barangay officials immediately left the place, but nobody got rowdy and broke the equipment of the mayor, said Galenzoga.

Everyone in the crowd shouted “people power” while the “Handog ng Pilipino sa Mundo” music played in the background. This time, Galenzoga’s supporters and volunteers quickly moved their equipment to the site vacated by Cari’s men.

Galenzoga alleged that, for several months, she had suffered from “oppression” by the barangay officials here, and it was not the first time that Martinez revoked her permit for a slated event just because Cari will use it. “They insulted all of us,” she alleged.

Unconfirmed reports said that earlier that night, Vice Mayor Michael Cari was at the venue, but he did not come out of his parked car. There were also reports of spotting the cars of Mayor Cari and 5th district Rep. Jose Carlos Cari in the area but they also did not come out of their cars.

Galenzoga said it was a show of Caris’ weak political will. She told the media that Mayor Cari and her family should have showed up at the venue to show support to Martinez and their supporters. “It was a pity for Dayang; she almost gave her life up for her candidate who in turn did not support her by showing up physically,” she added.  (FREEMAN)