14 September 2005
Coop men score government lawyer’s arrogance
URBIZTONDO – A government lawyer from this town is under fire for being arrogant during a pre-litigation conference at his residence last August 27, it was gathered Monday.
Officers of the EJS Multi-Purpose Cooperative led by board chairman Alberto Salomon initially sought the help of public attorney Dante B. Untalan Sr. to help effect a settlement of unpaid loans of some 23 members and non-members of the cooperative, for which the lawyer set a conference at his house.
During the meeting however, instead of hearing both sides to arrive at a solution to the problem, Untalan supposedly openly berated three officers of the board in front of the debtors, accusing the latter of charging exorbitant interest on borrowers and bleeding them dry.
The officers present were vice-chair Elsa Sabangan, coop manager Porferio Garcia and bookkeeper Vidal Vedana.
Sabangan said Untalan even belittled the educational qualifications of the officers to lead the cooperative. “Tepetan takayo pa no walay inaral yo?” (Let me just ask you if you are educationally qualified)” he reportedly told the coop officers.
She said her group did not have the chance to present their side, “Inabet to kami tami” (He scolded us), she said.
The cooperative had a total collectible of some P300,000 from the delinquent borrowers, Salomon, who failed to attend the conference because of other pressing matters, said.
One borrower-member incurred a total P37,525 in unsettled account with the coop as shown in a list prepared by the officers.
A subsequent verification made on the borrowers showed, according to Salomon, that some of them were either related to Untalan, or were his kumadres or godchildren.
Salomon said the coop in an emergency board meeting decided to terminate the legal service of the government lawyer and instead seek assistance from another lawyer.
“Imbes di tulongan to kami, ininsulto to kami laingen,” he lamented.
He said that had Untalan not acted the way he did and became a good mediator, the cooperative was ready to offer at least three options for the borrowers to settle their obligations – condonation of interest or penalties, restructuring, and re-scheduling of payments. (DOS)
Officers of the EJS Multi-Purpose Cooperative led by board chairman Alberto Salomon initially sought the help of public attorney Dante B. Untalan Sr. to help effect a settlement of unpaid loans of some 23 members and non-members of the cooperative, for which the lawyer set a conference at his house.
During the meeting however, instead of hearing both sides to arrive at a solution to the problem, Untalan supposedly openly berated three officers of the board in front of the debtors, accusing the latter of charging exorbitant interest on borrowers and bleeding them dry.
The officers present were vice-chair Elsa Sabangan, coop manager Porferio Garcia and bookkeeper Vidal Vedana.
Sabangan said Untalan even belittled the educational qualifications of the officers to lead the cooperative. “Tepetan takayo pa no walay inaral yo?” (Let me just ask you if you are educationally qualified)” he reportedly told the coop officers.
She said her group did not have the chance to present their side, “Inabet to kami tami” (He scolded us), she said.
The cooperative had a total collectible of some P300,000 from the delinquent borrowers, Salomon, who failed to attend the conference because of other pressing matters, said.
One borrower-member incurred a total P37,525 in unsettled account with the coop as shown in a list prepared by the officers.
A subsequent verification made on the borrowers showed, according to Salomon, that some of them were either related to Untalan, or were his kumadres or godchildren.
Salomon said the coop in an emergency board meeting decided to terminate the legal service of the government lawyer and instead seek assistance from another lawyer.
“Imbes di tulongan to kami, ininsulto to kami laingen,” he lamented.
He said that had Untalan not acted the way he did and became a good mediator, the cooperative was ready to offer at least three options for the borrowers to settle their obligations – condonation of interest or penalties, restructuring, and re-scheduling of payments. (DOS)
