Support for embattled Minglanilla mayor mounts

Local

THE circle of political support around suspended Minglanilla Mayor Rajiv Enad continues to grow.

Days after Cebu Gov. Pamela Baricuatro publicly backed the embattled mayor, leaders of the Alayon Party in Cebu’s First District issued a statement expressing “full and unwavering support” for Enad, Vice Mayor Elanito Peña, and members of the Minglanilla Sangguniang Bayan who are facing graft charges filed by the Office of the Ombudsman.

The statement was signed by First District Rep. Rhea Mae Gullas, Provincial Board Members Glenn Soco Reluya and Jerome Christian Bacaltos, and mayors from Cebu’s First District.

“We, the members of the Alayon Party of Cebu's First District, express our full and unwavering support for Minglanilla Mayor Rajiv Enad, Vice Mayor Elanito Peña, and the members of the Sangguniang Bayan who were recently charged by the Office of the Ombudsman,” the group said.

The district leaders said they would continue to stand behind the officials as the case moves through the courts.

“As they go through the legal process, we stand firmly beside them and reaffirm our continued support throughout these proceedings,” the statement read.

The group also stressed the importance of due process, saying it remains confident that all parties would be given a fair opportunity to present their side.

“We remain confident that due process will be upheld, that all parties will be given a fair opportunity to be heard, and that the truth will ultimately prevail,” it added.

The latest declaration of support comes as Enad and 12 other municipal officials prepare to answer criminal charges filed before the Regional Trial Court in Naga City.

The Office of the Ombudsman earlier announced that it found probable cause to indict Enad, Peña, 10 members of the municipal council, and Municipal Administrator Junrie Casquejo Bragat for alleged violation of Section 3(e) of Republic Act No. 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

The charges stem from the municipal government's repeated rejection of a rehabilitation plan covering a quarry site in Sitio Napo, Barangay Guindarohan.

According to the Ombudsman, the proposal had already secured recommendations and technical support from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, the Environmental Management Bureau, and the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office.

Investigators said the respondents allegedly acted with “evident bad faith, manifest partiality, or gross inexcusable negligence” when they refused to approve the rehabilitation plan despite endorsements from government agencies.

The Alayon Party's statement followed an earlier message of support from Baricuatro, who described Enad as one of Cebu Province’s best-performing mayors and encouraged him to continue fighting the allegations.

For his part, Enad has denied any wrongdoing and maintained that the case is not about corruption or misuse of public funds.

In a statement released after the filing of charges, he said the decisions made by the municipal government were driven by concerns for public welfare and environmental protection.

“The graft case filed against the members of the Municipal Council and me did not stem from greed or personal gain, but from our sincere desire to protect the lives of the people of Minglanilla and to safeguard the environment,” Enad said.

He also vowed to face the allegations through the proper legal process.

The criminal case follows the one-year preventive suspension earlier imposed on Enad, Peña, and 10 councilors, a development that temporarily reshaped Minglanilla’s political leadership.

Despite the growing support from political allies, the case now rests with the courts, where prosecutors will have to prove the allegations, and the respondents will be given the opportunity to present their defense.

Under Philippine law, a finding of probable cause is not a determination of guilt.(TGP)