The Office of the Ombudsman recently denied a motion for reconsideration filed by former Bacolod City Mayor Monico Puentevella and his son, Rocky Anthony Puentevella, who were earlier found guilty of simple neglect and grave misconduct, surrounding an “ukay-ukay” operation along Gatuslao Street.

The Puentevellas pointed to a decision by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), where they invalidated the case against the younger Puentevella, claiming there was no evidence money had exchanged hands.

The case, initially filed by former Bacolod City Councilor Carl Lopez back in 2014, claimed the younger Puentevella, who was operating as an executive assistant for the mayor’s office, demanded money from vendors in order for them to be approved for operation.

One such vendor, identified as Marife Fernandez, claimed she was approved to operate by both Puentevellas after she paid P300,000.

The matter was later forwarded to the Ombudsman from the NBI.

The Ombudsman found the argument lacking merit, saying, affidavits from Fernandez and Wilnor Jimenez Dela Torre, another vendor, were satisfactory.

Meanwhile, the former executive assistant faces an arraignment on Friday, October 27, after being served a warrant in relation to the said case./PLL, WDJ