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[av_heading heading=’‘Mission order’ issue taunts New Lucena mayor ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
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ILOILO City – Mayor Christian Sorongon of New Lucena, Iloilo claimed the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) did not get his side when it investigated his issuance of a mission order to a bodyguard.
A complaint from former New Lucena mayor and now Provincial Board member Liecel Seville prompted the investigation.
She claimed Sorongon was not authorized to issue a mission order, or an authority to carry a firearm for a specific purpose/mission.
After the probe, IPPO director Senior Superintendent Roderick Augustus Alba said Sorongon “is liable for the illegal use of firearm by issuing an authority through mission order to his job hire/bodyguard.”
Alba recommended that the case “be further referred to Provincial DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government) Office, through the Office of the Provincial Governor, for appropriate action.”
The 25-year-old mayor said he was clueless about the investigation.
“Masubo tungod wala ginkuha ang aton nga side,” he said in a phone interview. “Kon nakuha ang aton nga side, tani nabal-an nila kon ano ang status sang mga firearms kag mission order nga ini.”
Seville and husband Rico entered Sorongon’s office at the municipal hall on Aug. 10.
According to Sorongon, the couple searched and shouted at his bodyguard, retired Master Sergeant Rolando Bordon.
A video of the incident had been uploaded on Facebook. Sorongon said the IPPO used the video in its investigation.
The Sevilles secured a copy of a mission order Sorongon allegedly issued to another bodyguard, Master Sergeant Mario Tambangan, on Aug. 2.
Seville provided the press a copy of the mission order, which stated that the purpose was “for security of the mayor” and its “duration” was from “Aug. 1 to Nov. 1” this year.
Sorongon was unable to verify the copy provided to the press but admitted issuing a mission order to Tambangan. The mayor stressed, however, that the order was revoked on the same day it was issued.
“Gin-revoke naton immediately because ginhulat naton sa opisina nga i-forward sa aton or i-turn over sa aton ang tanan nga documents [related] to the ownership of [the] firearms,” he said.
“In accordance with law, a mayor can issue a duty detail order,” which is “essentially the same” with a mission order, Sorongon claimed.
“However, tungod wala nahatag sa aton ang mga documents sang firearms, gin-revoke naton ang mission order,” said the mayor. “It means ang mission order nga ato had never been effective.”
Sorongon said General Services Officer Sotero Lomigo turned over to him 10 firearms marked “PNP property,” all of which remained untouched and inside a safekeeping cabinet at the mayor’s office.
“Others may think nga…kita ang nagpilit nga gamiton ini (firearms) for whatever purpose,” he said. “I would like to clarify nga wala ko ini ginpangayo ang firearms, wala ko ini gin-request for turnover kay wala ko gani kabalo nga may mga firearms ang banwa sang New Lucena.”
Sorongon turned the table on the Sevilles.
On Sept. 28, 2015, when Seville was still mayor, her husband Rico, then municipal administrator, and Lomigo received the firearms which the New Lucena police station turned over to the local government, Sorongon said, citing a “memorandum receipt” from the police station.
But Rico Seville was already deemed resigned by October 2015 because he ran for mayor for the 2016 election, Sorongon said.
“What is the relevance of this fact? Wala ginbalik ang firearms (sa police station), ngaa ara gihapon sa iya sang time nga nag-resign [sia] as municipal administrator,” he said, citing the fact that he received the guns from Lomigo. “We (also) had election gun ban.”
Sorongon hoped the IPPO would consider his side. “Amo lang na gusto ko. Indi ko gusto mag-ginamo. Let us just be fair,” he said./PN
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