Priest to Rosal’s supporters: ‘Be calm’

By Rhaydz B. Barcia

TO ease the tension among the so-called “silent majority” in Albay, Fr. Rex Paul Arjona of St. Roch Parish in Taysan, Legazpi City, urged the supporters of the former governor to “remain calm” and called on his political opponents to “be fair.”

These nearly 500,000 Albayanos, who voted for Noel Rosal in 2022, are once again expressing their anger over the Ombudsman’s decision, which bars the ousted Albay governor-elect from holding public office permanently.

To pacify the growing frustration, Fr. Arjona appealed to Rosal’s supporters to stay composed. He shared Rosal’s statement on his social media wall with the caption: “Statement of Gov-elect Noel Rosal on the recent Ombudsman decision. To the supporters: calm down. To the opponents: be fair,” written in the local dialect.

Meanwhile, Virgilio S. Perdigon, a retired professor from the University of Santo Tomas-Legazpi, stated that the Supreme Court of the Philippines should decide on Rosal’s disqualification case by December 2024.

“The SC should rule on Rosal’s disqualification case by December 2024. If Gov. Noel Rosal appeals the Ombudsman’s decision to the SC, they have until September 2026 to issue a decision,” Perdigon said.

“If Rosal is prevented from running in May 2025, then his opponents will have undermined democracy in Albay! The true loser will not be Rosal, but the province itself,” he wrote in a Facebook post.

The Ombudsman ruled against Noel Rosal, barring him from holding public office indefinitely. In response, Rosal said he will fight his case to the Supreme Court, which is the final arbiter of the law.

On September 4, 2024, Rosal and his team were served copies of the Ombudsman’s joint resolution in the cases filed against him by Adrian Loterte. Rosal issued a statement on Thursday afternoon explaining the situation.

“These cases, as you are likely aware by now, mostly concern the secondment of Engr. Clemente Ibo to the position of Assistant Provincial Engineer in Albay,” Rosal said.

Upon receiving the joint resolution, Rosal and his team decided to remain silent, as they firmly believe that the merits of the cases should not be publicly discussed until the Supreme Court makes a final ruling, thereby making it part of the law of the land.

“However, today, the Ombudsman’s office released a statement regarding the case. To avoid misleading the public, we are issuing this official response. Yes, the joint resolution imposes the penalty of suspension and dismissal,” he said.

“However, this penalty is not yet final. It is not yet enforceable. We still have legal remedies available, and we will pursue all necessary actions. The battle is far from over. Contrary to what some media outlets may suggest, we have committed no illegal, irregular, or unconstitutional acts, and we will fight this case to the very end,” Rosal stated.

In 2016, the Sangguniang Panlungsod passed Resolution No. 14-0020-2016, declaring Adrian Loterte as persona non grata for his malicious and defamatory allegations against then-Mayor Noel Rosal.

Loterte, a local broadcaster, accused Rosal of being a drug protector.

Following malicious and defamatory allegations by Loterte to Rosal, the Sangguniang Panlungsod condemned the broadcaster for not following ethical standards.

In the resolution of the council, it said that broadcaster/ journalist has the obligation to provide true and reliable information through comprehensive and adequate research and verification, however, Adrian Loterte, a local media personality, without adequate research with the intent to do harm and with reckless disregard for the truth have made insinuation.

“The allegations made against the city mayor as drug protector in Legazpi adversely affected the name of the city and its progress. This august body believes that there is a need to put a stop to this kind of smear campaign, hence, this resolution in session assembled declares Adrian Loterte as persona non grata of the city of Legazpi for his malicious defamatory allegations against the city mayor,” the resolution said.

“His allegations, malicious and baseless, have caused harm and distress not only to the family of Mayor Rosal but also to the city, which is aiming to be one of the top conversation destinations in Luzon,” it added.