Murcia Councilor Helen Clavesillas has denied the allegations of Mayor Esteban Coscolluela in the complaint for conduct unbecoming of a public official that he filed against her before the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.

In her counter and accusation affidavit subscribed on March 9 before the Provincial Prosecutor's Office in Bacolod City, Clavesillas said that the charge is a retaliation suit meant to harass and immobilize her for supporting the group of market vendors who filed an administrative complaint against Coscolluela, also before the SP.

The charge is baseless and is politically motivated to discredit me before the constituents of Murcia, she said, adding that Coscolluela placed words in her mouth.

Clavesillas said she never apologized to Coscolluela at their meeting called by her fellow Sangguniang Bayan members on Oct. 28, 2005 at Bob's Restaurant in Bacolod City, for her and the mayor to reconcile.

She added that she never admitted that she fabricated the story that the National Government is the most corrupt and the second most corrupt is the Provincial Government of Negros Occidental, and that she told a lie to Board Member Miller Serondo contrary to the earlier claim of Coscolluela that she had done so at the said meeting.

In truth, Clavesillas said that she told the mayor that it was she who relayed the talk (about the provincial government being corrupt) to Serondo to make sure it will reach Gov. Joseph Marañon.

"After my explanation, the mayor told me to forget everything and (that we) start a new relationship for the good of Murcia, to which I agreed," she said.

Clavesillas said that Coscolluela even offered all SB members a trip to Bangkok but she declined and he withdrew the offer. "Some SB members blamed me for the cancelled offer."

She added that all the lies ascribed to her by the mayor and his allies had placed her in a bad light and prejudiced and hurt her reputation as a public official.

Clavesillas attached to her sworn statement the joint affidavit of her colleagues, Councilors Aniceto Mesa and Napoleon, to support her claims.*NLG

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