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By James
Konstantin Galvez, Reporter
An uneasy calm
prevailed in Pasay City Hall Friday following the tension the day
before when dismissed Vice-Mayor Antonino Calixto and his supporters
sneaked into the building and locked themselves in Calixto’s
office.
Calixto was
accompanied by suspended city councilors Noel Bayona, Arnel Regino
Arceo and Richard Advincula and a sheriff from the Court of Appeals.
Calixto had
secured a temporary restraining order from the Court of Appeals’
10th Division stopping his dismissal but the Department of the
Interior and Local Government refused to act on it until the
appellate court responded to the clarification it has filed.
The Ombudsman
charged Calixto, nine councilors and Mayor Wenceslao “Peewee”
Trinidad for approving overpriced garbage contracts in 2004 and
2005.
Mayor Allan T.
Panaligan of Pasay City on Friday denounced the action of Calixto.
“Former
vice-mayor Calixto put the law into his own hands. His forcible
entry into the city hall was a ‘treacherous attack’ that alarmed
the employees,” Panaligan said.
He said
Southern Police District director, Chief Supt. Roberto Rosales, sent
additional police officers to the city hall when informed that
Calixto allegedly threatened to return Friday.
Calixto also
reportedly dared the Pasay police chief, Senior Supt. Marietto
Valerio, to stop him from returning.
Calixto did
not show up.
“Obviously,
former vice-mayor Calixto has something in his mind. If not, why
would he cover his face to enter inside the City Hall,” Panaligan
said.
Panaligan said
Calixto should have waited for the decision of the Court of Appeals
on DILG’s motion for clarification.
Panaligan said
he is consulting his lawyers on possible charges to file against
Calixto and his supporters. Vice-Mayor Bong Tolentino is also
mulling charges against Calixto after supporters of Calixto
allegedly pointed guns at two of the vice-mayor’s staff.
It was the
DILG who installed Panaligan and Tolentino, themselves former city
councilors, in the seats vacated by Trinidad and Calixto.
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