Bambi: Moreno ‘brains’ behind nepotism charge
Misamis Oriental Governor Yevgeny ‘Bambi' Emano yesterday, February 22, tagged Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Oscar Moreno as the brains behind the malversation and nepotism case he is facing before the Office of the Ombudsman.
Emano, along with his brother-in-law, former City Councilor Prexy Elipe, have been charged with nepotism, malversation, unlawful appointment, grave abuse of authority, and grave misconduct before the Office of the Ombudsman by a certain Ernesto Molina.
Molina, in the Ombudsman document, is identified as a resident of barangay 35, Yacapin Extension, this city.
Boh Emano and Elipe have been ordered to respond and submit their counter-affidavits to the Office of the Ombudsman. The order is signed by Graft Investigation and Prosecution Officer Hilda Dela Cruz-Likit.
Elipe is married to Emano's sister, City Councilor Nadya Emano-Elipe.
After he finished his term as city councilor in 2016, Elipe ran for provincial board member but lost. He was then supposedly appointed as MOISC general manager.
Elipe's position as general manager of MOISC was questioned after the Ombudsman found him guilty of serious dishonesty and falsifying public documents in 2015, an offense which carries a penalty of perpetual disqualification from holding public office. The decision came out in August 2016.
In an interview last Wednesday, Governor Emano called the complaint ‘baseless', pointing out that there was no malversation of public funds and he did not commit nepotism as he did not appoint Elipe as the MOISC general manager.
Emano said Elipe was voted unanimously by the MOISC board as its manager, and even the city's representative, a certain Mr. Boy Cinco voted for Elipe, the governor said.
“First, I did not appoint former Councilor Elipe, it was voted by the board. Second, all the transactions of the sports center are also approved by the board, not me,” he said.
Emano also clarified that Elipe does not sign checks as general manager.
The MOISC, he said is a well-represented institution composed of representatives from the City Government,
Department of Education, and the Provincial Government.
The ‘privatized’ operations of MOISC has also caught the attention of the City Councilors. Councilor Ian Nacaya has initiated an investigation on the collections of MOISC allegedly spent on things meant to promote Elipe and the governor’s political interests.
A letter of a sports enthusiast group had reached the City Council saying all the activities and purchases of MOISC did not pass through government accounting, auditing, and procurement, making it vulnerable to corruption.