The fourth judge of the Tagbilaran City Regional Trial Court (RTC) assigned to hear the complaint filed against the controversial contract of the City Square inhibited from handling the case on Friday.
RTC Branch 4 Presiding Judge Achilles Melicor issued his inhibition order Friday morning hours before the first scheduled hearing on the application for a temporary restraining order (TRO) in the complaint of lawyers Victor dela Serna, Alexander Lim and Zotico Ochavillo.
The complainant-lawyers filed the motion for inhibition on Thursday believing that Judge Melicor will not be impartial in hearing and deciding the case.
The case was returned to RTC Executive Judge Fernando Fuentes III who may refer it to the last City RTC judge to handle the case – Branch 1 Presiding Judge Teofilo Baluma.
The case was first raffled to Fuentes, then later to Judge Baudillo Dosdos and Judge Suceso Arcamo. The three inhibited following motions for inhibition filed by the petitioners and respondents.
City RTC Branch 48 Presiding Judge Pablo Magdoza has asked to be excluded from the raffle as the complaint involves the cancellation of a contract which was notarized by his son, lawyer Pablito Grecio Magdoza.
The complaint filed by Dela Serna, Lim and Ochavillo seeks for the cancellation of the rehabilitate-operate-transfer (ROT) contract entered into by the city government and a private consortium to develop the City Square , the complainants are also asking for the issuance of an injunction and TRO to stop operations at the recently opened business center.
The plaintiff-lawyers call the ROT contract a “sweetheart deal†for Mayor Dan Lim and the consortium led by businessmen Juan Apostol and Ko Beng Sum. - source: The Bohol Chronicle
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