Mayor Magdaleno Peña yesterday said the barangay captains of his town are “quite happy” that a member of the Mondia family filed a case against them so they can inform the people of Negros of the Mondias' having used active and former rebels in past elections in Pulupandan town.

Gina Mondia-Villanueva, a member of the Mondia family and employee of the Integrated Stevedoring and Arrastre Corp. in Pulupandan town filed a criminal case for libel and an administrative case of grave misconduct in office and oppression against 20 barangay captains of Pulupandan town before the Office of the Ombudsman for Visayas Thursday.

Peña said the filing of the charges by Villanueva will give the barangay captains the opportunity to inform the people of Negros Occidental that the Mondias' are financially supporting the NPA movement in Negros .

Jovim Entilla, lawyer of the Mondias, said there is no truth to the allegations that his clients are connected to the NPAs.

Such allegations are not backed by proof, they are politically- motivated, he added.

Named in the cases Villanueva filed last week were barangays captains Lissa Marie Bantigue (Brgy. Zone 1), Ericson Cepida (Zone 1-A), Tino Estares (Zone 2), Hernaldo Era (Zone 3), Wilfredo Servania (Zone 4), Jimmy Polido (Zone 4-A), Cynthia Barrato (Zone 5), Allan Jacildo (Zone 6), Gilnor Desengaño (Zone 7), Francisco Dorepes Jr. (Canjusa), Johnald Juaneza (Crossing Pulupandan), Ronnie Moreño (Culo), Romulo Campantero (Utod), Rosal Ortega (Pag-ayon), Jonah Jarlata (Tapong), John Ordaniel (Palaka Sur), Erna Tortocion (Palaka Norte), Ramil Tenero (Mabini), Ramon Tandoy (Ubay) and Roberto Valenzuela (Patic) .

The 20 Pulupandan barangay captains had written Philippine Ports Authority general manager Oscar Sevilla to cancel the contract of ISACOR that operates the arrastre and stevedoring services of the port of Pulupandan town and Pulupandan Mayor Magdaleno Peña asking him not to renew the business permit of ISACOR in Pulupandan .

The barangay captains in their letters to Sevilla and Peña said it would be in the best interest, not only of Pulupandan, but also of the province not to renew the contract and permit of ISACOR “considering that the Mondia family is a known supporter of the Communist Party of the Philippines/New People's Army.”

In her complaint, Villanueva said the barangay captains, through Peña, “publicly, maliciously and feloniously, with intent to impute a crime, vice, or defect against identifiable members of the Mondia family, caused them “dishonor, discredit and contempt in the eyes of the public” as well as moral and actual damages.

The barangay captains did not even dare to substantiate their allegations by showing any document or evidence to prove their highly malicious imputations and assaults to our honor and prestige, Villanueva said.

Samson Mondia, ISACOR vice president, in a DAILY STAR story published on Feb. 4 called the accusations cited by the barangay captains “irresponsible and baseless” and designed to harass and malign his family.*CPG

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