VM Dao-as puzzled with slow movement of corruption charges against Mayor Estranero at the Ombudsman

Tabuk City, Kalinga – Vice-Mayor Bernard Glenn Dao-as expressed bewilderment in his post on August 16, 2021, when a case filed against him at the Office of the Ombudsman totally unrelated to his being a Vice-Mayor progressed faster than the many corruption charges filed against Mayor Darwin Estranero.

According to Dao-as, a document yet to be verified stated that he shall receive a suspension for a year.

In the post entitled “Injustice”, Dao-as said the case filed against him is related to a lot which he bought from a certain Arthur M. Dirige in 2004 for P7.2 million when he was yet a barangay captain and not related to his function as the current Vice-Mayor of Tabuk City.

A complaint was filed by a certain Jude Clint Dirige Escario, who is living in lapu-lapu City Cebu. The case filed was “Conduct Prejudicial to the best interest of service and Grave Misconduct” because of the illegal conversion of the lot into residential/commercial.

Content of the complaint according to Dao-as

It was alleged by the complaint that there was a conversion that transpired because it was backfilled with sand and gravel. Because there was backfilling that happened before clearance was given by the Department of Agrarian Reform, it was alleged as illegal conversion.

Dao-as was puzzled how such a case can move so fast at the Office of the Ombudsman but the corruption charges against Mayor Estranero have not progressed.

“Nu immusad man daytoy inkaso da kanyak idi October 31, 2019 nakaskasdaaw met nga ti agarup 20 nga kaso ti corruption ti agdama nga elected city official iti City of Tabuk ket saan nga immusad,” stated Dao-as.

In a follow-up interview, Dao-as said he has been harassed with various charges since he started exposing the alleged corruption of mayor Darwin Estranero which started with the claimed overpriced Laya lot purchase of 46 million pesos for 1.8 hectares.

“Dapat kuma ket ti sungbatan da dayta corruption. Nu talaga awan ti corruption nga aramid da apay ngai nga illemmeng da ti documentos ken butbutngen da dagiti agdamag? Kuna ni Presidente Duterte saan tayo dapat nga agbuteng nga mangiwaragawag ken labanan ti corruption ta dayta ti mangperdi saan lang nga ti future ti ubbing tayo nu diket ti intero nga pagilian,” said Dao-as.

Dao-as says he is a legal buyer

The Vice-Mayor said he bought the land legally from Arthur Dirige. If there are problems, according to him, it is the heirs of Dirige because they have not come to terms with their shares.

“Inramanak iti problema da nga “Buyer in Good Faith”. Siak iti biktima, karkaro ta inaramat dagiti manglimlimo nga politician daytoy nga isu laban kanyak,” explain Dao-as.

Dao-as likewise said that if ever it is true that he shall be suspended, he will endure the injustice and that he will not pay to bend the law just to get what he wants, adding that he is doing what he promised when he took oath as the leader of the legislative department working as check and balancer for the people.

Update on the lot issue

Jude Clint Dirige Escario, nephew of Arthur Dirige who sold the lot to Vice-Mayor Dao-as, took to social media his answer saying the complaint he filed against Vice-Mayor is personal and was not tainted politically.

"Wala po itong halong pulitika gaya ng gustong palabasin ni Vice Mayor Dao-as. Ito po ay problema namin sa lupa," stated Escario.

Escario said he is one of the heir of the lot, "Ako si Jude Clint Dirige Escario, isa sa mga tagapagmana sa lupain na ginawang stockpile ni Vice Mayor Bernard Glenn "Pio" Dao-as sa Barangay Appas, Tabuk City."

Meantime, according to the official of City LGU, Mayor Darwin Estranero needed not to comment as the issue is a private matter between the Vice-Mayor and Escario.

Note: This article was updated August 20, 2021. The last four paragraphs were added to the original after new information was obtained.

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