ILOILO – Criminal charges filed against 2nd District Provincial Board member Liecel Mondejar-Seville and husband Ricco Joseph have been dismissed.
They lacked probable cause, according to the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office.
Mayor Christian Sorongon of New Lucena town filed qualified direct assault charges against the Seville couple in December 2016.
Two job hires of the New Lucena local government – Mario Tambacan and Rolando Bordon – also lodged a usurpation of official functions charge against Ricco Joseph.
The charges stemmed from the tension at the New Lucena municipal hall on Aug. 10, 2016.
Tambacan and Bordon claimed that, when the Seville couple entered the building that day, Ricco Joseph frisked them, believing they were armed.
“There is nothing in the evidence adduced that respondent Ricco Joseph Seville, under pretense of official functions, falsely represented himself as a person in authority or public officer,” Assistant Provincial Prosecutor Jojie Balume said in a decision dated June 11.
“An examination of the affidavits submitted by both parties show that Ricco Joseph believed he saw a gun tucked in the waist of Bordon and believed that Tambacan was also armed,” Balume added. “Ricco Joseph, in his personal capacity, confronted Bordon and Tambacan without falsely representing any office.”
As for the qualified direct assault charges, “nothing shows that the spouses went to the Mayor’s Office to attack or assault the Honorable Mayor while in the performance of his duties,” said Balume.
Seville was happy that the charges have been dismissed.
This only showed there was insufficient evidence that they intended to harm when they entered the New Lucena municipal hall to follow-up on her clearances, she said. “Indi matuod nga nanggubat kami sang husband ko.”
Sorongon was discontent. “Wala pa ini napatawag si [Board member] Seville para pasabton sa complaint naton,” he said.
The mayor said he will file a motion for reconsideration at the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office.
“If this gets denies, we will file a petition for review at the Regional State Prosecutor,” said Sorongon. “If it gets denied again, we raise this to the Court of Appeals – and further up the Supreme Court if needed.”
Seville acknowledged that it is the mayor’s right to appeal the decision./PN
