Gicas ask for more time to file answer
Due to other urgent matters that their legal counsel has to attend to,
Dumanjug Mayor Efren
Gica and two others are asking for extension to file their respective counteraffidavits in the anti-graft and misconduct cases filed against them.
Gica, his brother,
Councilor Erwin Gica, and
Municipal Budget Officer
Juana Calang were sued before the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas for allegedly leading the police in raiding the house of Marlene Quirante without a search warrant.
Quirante, a resident of Barangay Pawa, Dumanjug, alleged her house was searched on August 5, 2015 and their things were loaded into a government vehicle parked outside.
Lawyer Edgar Gica, legal counsel of respondents, yesterday filed a motion for extension of time to file counteraffidavit before the anti-graft office.
"Due to undersigned counsel's other professional commitments of equally urgent nature such as appearance in out-of-town hearings in criminal and civil cases, preparation and filing of memorandum, briefs and other urgent pleadings, undersigned counsel needs an additional period of 15 days to comply the same," read the motion.
Edgar said since they have until today to file counteraffidavit and other supporting documents, this prompted them to ask for an extension.
The Office of the Ombudsman issued an order last September 11 directing respondents to file their respective counter-affidavits within 10 days.
Respondents said they received the order last October 9. Earlier, the Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the suspension of Efren and Erwin for one year without pay after they were found guilty of simple misconduct and oppression for allegedly leading the police to raid the house of Quirante without a warrant.
However, Graft Investigation and Prosecution Officer Portia Pacquiao ordered the restoration of respondents in their post after realizing they had issued a decision without the respondents' side.
Respondents claimed their counsel may have overlooked the order of the Office of the Ombudsman in this particular case due to the many complaints they had to file during the campaign period, which prompted them to ask for reconsideration.