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Narra mayor Gerandy Danao, taking the witness stand at Tuesday’s administrative case hearings, lashed out at his detractors over their allegation that he issued illegal cockfighting permits.
Danao in his testimony angrily accused Vice Mayor Crispin Lumba, who had led the filing of administrative cases against him, of “political harassment.”
He specifically claimed that Lumba was aware about the permits he had issued and that the latter had agreed with several of them.
When asked about one of the permits he issued to Barangay Calategas, Danao claimed that he consulted Lumba about it and the latter agreed. He claimed that the latter even referred to the Narra Municipal Ordinance 95-02.
“Bago ako nag-issue ng mga permit sa barangay, kinausap ko ‘yan si Vice. Sabi niya, puwede naman daw pirmahan ‘yan kasi nasa ordinansa naman ‘yan,” Danao said.
Danao was also visibly irritated when he was asked to identify a permit issued to a certain Randy Arimado for a cockfighting event in Barangay Malinaw, Narra on September 30, 2019.
Danao claimed that he told Lumba that the cockpit manager is actually provincial board member Ferdinand Zaballa, not Arimado, and accused Lumba of lying when he denied knowledge of the said permits.
“Ang nakalagay dito na cockpit manager si Arimado. Pero vice, huwag tayong magtaguan. Kilalang-kilala mo kung sino talaga ang may-ari ng sabungan, si Board Member Zaballa. Huwag mong sabihin na hindi ka pamilyar sa mga pasabong sa Narra. Ang tagal-tagal mo nang kagawad, kilala mo kung sino ang may-ari ng sabungan,” Danao said.
Several board members called out Danao’s outburst and the latter apologized afterwards.
During his cross-examination by Lumba’s lawyer Christian Jay Cojamco, he was asked why he accused his detractors of harassing him in the form of filing an administrative case.
Danao claimed that his detractors wanted to pursue controversial municipal projects in Narra.
“Kaya sila nagsampa ng kaso kasi hindi nila ako kaalyado. At gusto nilang ipagpatuloy ang mga proyekto na tinututulan ng mga taumbayan,” said Danao.
“Ang isa doon ay ang Citi Nickel. Gusto kasi ng Citi Nickel na ipagpatuloy ang kanilang proyekto sa Narra, ngunit hindi pa nila nababayaran ang P94-million na utang nila,” he added.
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