ILOILO CITY—Mayor Ronnie Dadivas of Roxas City has filed three separate cases against Capiz Provincial Administrator Edwin Monares.
“Mga malisyoso kag puno sang kabutigan nga public post sa Facebook nga nagatuyo samadon kag higkuan ang akon integridad kag maayo nga pangalan sang gobyerno sang syudad sang Roxas (The Facebook post was full of malice and lies that aims to destroy my integrity and the good name of the Roxas City government),” said Dadivas in a statement.
Dadivas went to Iloilo City last Thursday, March 10, to file two cases against Monares before the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas.
Monares is facing cyber libel charge under the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 and an administrative case for grave misconduct.
Dadivas then went back to Roxas City and filed a civil case for damages before the Regional Trial Court (RTC).
Last February 19, Monares posted on Facebook a photo the Commission on Audit (COA) independent auditor’s report addressed to Dadivas.
The photo of COA’s independent audit report was accompanied by Monares’ call that Dadivas and other Liberal Party (LP) officials should also answer allegations of the finances of the Roxas City government.
Monares accused LP politicians of Capiz to have been “lying and deceiving the people.”
The February 19 Facebook post of Monares was seen as a response when LP politicians previously questioned the Capiz provincial government for a separate COA report on purchase of medicines.
There’s an ongoing rift between many Capiz officials belonging to LP and Governor Esteban Evan Contreras II, who appointed Monares.
Contreras ran independently during the 2019 elections and bolted the LP.