Public officials: beware of CCTV cameras
When Prisca Niña Mabatid joined politics, she was presumed to be ready to face the consequences of being a politician. Mabatid, the newly elected Mabolo barangay captain, is now mired in an unpleasant incident.
Waterfront Cebu City Hotel employees Irene Juliet Lacerna, Welbert Pepito and Edwin Acuyan filed complaints against Mabatid with the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas for grave misconduct, conduct unbecoming of a public officer, and conduct prejudicial to the public service in relation to Republic Act 6713, or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.
While Mabatid claimed politics is behind the publication of the charges against her, she cannot also deny the fact that the verbal abuse against the Waterfront hotel employees did happen. It was even reported at the Mabolo Police Station.
Mabatid is vying for the post of president of the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) in the city. The other candidates are Philip Zafra of Tisa and Kasambagan barangay captain Franklin Ong. The election is on July 13.
The issue against Mabatid may be related to her intention to run for ABC president. But many of my friends believe that the happening of the incident may just have been coincidental. If politics had something to do it, then Zafra and Ong could be the culprits. But I doubt if they could have encouraged the hotel employees to file those charges against her.
The charges are enough for Mabatid to worry about. And this is a lesson for public officials for them to maintain proper decorum when they are public places where CCTV cameras are installed. The incident involving Mabatid was caught by the hotel’s CCTV.
Pepito, in his affidavit, said that around 4:50 in the morning of June 19, while he was at the landing of the guests’ elevator near the lobby, he noticed two people who entered the hotel lobby using the main entrance. They were holding each other and walking unsteadily. They appeared to be drunk.
“I was surprised when the woman suddenly started shouting,” Pepito said. “I tried to reason with her that I was just doing my job. I calmly told her if they have not yet registered as guests they could approach the front desk to do the same.”
Reports said that Mabatid ignored Pepito’s explanation. Instead, she got angrier and shouted insults at he hotel employee while telling him she is the barangay captain of Mabolo.
Mabatid’s companion, Ramon Floresta, then allegedly punched Pepito in the cheek while he was writing down the room number that Mabatid gave. Floresta also kicked Pepito in his stomach. Mabatid reportedly continued shouting vindictives at him.
I don’t think politics had something to do with the case that Mabatid is now facing. The hotel employees would perhaps still file the charges even if she was not the barangay captain of Mabolo because what she and her companion did was a crime. What made the matter worse is that Mabatid is an elected official. If Mabatid were not a barangay captain, I don’t think the incident would get the attention of the local media.