Pasay City’s acting mayor hits back Jocelyn Uy Inquirer
November 14, 2006
ACTING Pasay Mayor Allan Panaligan is raring to fight back.
Panaligan, in an interview over the weekend, said he and his lawyers were already studying the charges they would file against former City Hall employees who recently lodged administrative and criminal cases against him.
Last week, three employees -- among the 700 city government workers whose services were terminated on October 27 -- filed separate administrative and criminal cases against Panaligan at the Ombudsman.
They accused him of grave abuse of authority and violating Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. Other dismissed employees have said that they would also sue the acting mayor.
Two weeks ago, four traffic enforcers also filed a case against Panaligan at the Ombudsman after he allegedly ordered their arrest after they apprehended a bus driver for a traffic violation.
“We cannot stop them from filing charges against me. We have anticipated this and I think there’s more to come. They will throw everything against us, even their kitchen sinks if they could,” the acting mayor told the Inquirer.
Panaligan, however, stressed that the charges against him were baseless. As acting mayor, he said he has the authority to relieve workers at City Hall.
“Yes, I have the full power to do that,” Panaligan stressed, adding that he dismissed the 700 employees because their services were no longer needed.
