ARMM lawyers face disbarment raps due to 'misinformation'

COTABATO CITY – Disbarment cases have been filed before the office of Bar Confidant of the Supreme Court against two lawyers of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao allegedly for sowing "misinformation." Officials of the Department of Transportation and Communications-ARM filed disbarment case against Atty Roslaine Lidasan Macao Maniri, Attorney V of DOTC-ARMM, and ARMM Secretary Atty. Naguib Sinarimbo. After filing the disbarment cases last Friday, DOTC-ARMM director III Abdelnazer Mohammad Isa, together with DOTC employee Dialoson Amil, said “We filed the disbarment cases against the lawyers for feeding wrong information to acting ARMM Governor Ansaruddin Adiong, which resulted in the non-payment of our salaries.“ Isa and Amil expressed confidence the court will favor them even as they claimed they have strong evidence for their charges. The two are among DOTC officials who have not been receiving their salaries for several months due to a controversy between Governor Adiong and DOTC director Pama Dimapanat. Isa claimed that he and Manapat have not been receiving their salaries for five months and some DOTC employees have been deprived of their pays for three years. Adiong has allegedly continued refusing to recognize Manapat as DOTC-ARMM director, despite an order from Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo to reinstate him. Robredo's order was based on a court and the Civil Service Commission separate rulings recognizing Manapat as rightful DOTC director. Recently, Governor Adiong issued a memorandum dropping Manapat, Isa, and Amil from DOTC's employes roll, allegedly for their absence without leave (AWOL). GMA News Online tried but failed to contact Adiong for comment. — Mariz Revales/LBG, GMA News