BY GEROME DALIPE IV
ILOILO City – San Isidro, Jaro barangay captain Ronela Juaneza has asked the City Council to dismiss for want of merit the complaint over alleged irregular release of barangay public funds.
In her 15-page answer, Juaneza also sought moral and exemplary damages totaling P100, 000 from the complainants for filing the complaint meant to “suit their whims and caprices and to harass” her administration.
“Instead of helping her and guiding her new administration, the old administration officials who are also her barangay kagawad are adamant about watching her fail. Like a fish in the fishbowl, her young administration is put to the test,” read Juaneza’s reply through her lawyer, Karen Edaniel.
The case stemmed from the complaint filed by Eugenio Bolivar, Cheryl Maralit, Ruby Gallano, Rene Dimasu-ay, and Zenith Rigby, who accused Juaneza and Janette Gacuma, the village treasurer, of dishonesty, oppression, misconduct in office, and abuse of authority and violation of Republic Act 9184, or the Government Procurement Reform Act.
The complainants alleged that Juaneza violated the Government Procurement Reform Act for allowing the disbursement of public funds on various dates from December 2023 to January 2024 without observing public competitive bidding.
They further alleged that these included purchases of office supplies worth 94,122.32; well-milled rice cost of P365,488; drugs and medicines for senior citizens for January 2024 worth 235,660.72 and encashed several checks for payment of several barangay hall’s operating expenses.
Mayor Jerry Treñas earlier approved the recommendation of the City Council to preventively suspend Juaneza for six days while the Blue Ribbon Committee is investigating her for three counts of violation of Republic Act 9184 (Government Procurement Reform Act), which constitutes misconduct in office and abuse of authority.
On Aug. 28, the Committee started its preliminary conference on the allegations that Juaneza illegally released public funds amounting to P818,085.04.
The complainants alleged that Juaneza violated the Government Procurement Reform Act for allowing the disbursement of public funds on various dates from December 2023 to January 2024 without observing public competitive bidding.
In her answer, Juaneza argued the complaint ought to be dismissed for failure of the complainants to state a cause of action.
“…the complaint is plain and simple malicious persecution to discredit her name, tarnish her reputation, and ruin her leadership. She strongly attests that she is innocent of the accusation hurled against her,” read Juaneza’s pleading.
She also labeled the complaint as “unmeritorious and it is pure harassment” by the complainants to cow and threaten her to tarnish and demean her leadership and to remove her as the village chief.
She said the allegations in the complaint centered on the issuance of the checks and release of barangay funds supposedly without undergoing the proper procedure of bidding and procurement processes.
“This is malevolent imputation of wrongful act without basis and bereft of merit. This is a case of malicious persecution of a newly elected barangay official who is barely six months in the position as punong barangay,” said Juaneza.
She added she was subjected to unjust criticism and unwarranted judgment because she was the unexpected winner from the last barangay election.
“All her actions have been monitored to find fault in her so that they can have the basis to remove her from her position. Finding fault in her actions, though does not constitute grave error, has been the rallying point of her nemesis,” read Juaneza’s answer.
The village chief also argued the complaint was prematurely filed since the purchases being raised in the complaint are all accounted for, the funds are intact and the procedures are followed.
In contrast, Juaneza said the complainants caused injuries to the respondent due to their “selfish and self-serving complaint, abuse of authority, unwarranted behavior and uncalled for actions that tarnished the leadership of the respondent.”
She was referring to the graft complaint she filed before the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas against Doreza and Maralit for failure to liquidate barangay funds amounting to P1.8 million on March 12, 2024./PN
