TAGUIG City Mayor Lani Cayetano and other officials were cleared of charges of illegal detention and grave coercion, as the city prosecutor dismissed the case.
According to the 14-page which was dated last August 2, the Office of the City Prosecutor of Taguig said that based on the arguments presented, they decided to dismiss the charges slapped against Mayor Cayetano and city officials.
The charges also named City Administrator Jose Luis Montales, Business Permits and Licensing Office Head Maria Theresa Veloso, Traffic Management Office Head Danny Cañaveral, and other unnamed individuals.
The city prosecutor cited the lack of sufficient evidence as a basis for their dismissal.
It will be recalled that the complaint was filed by Salvador C. Palisa, Ryalyn B. Almazar, Joven P. Mediavillo, and Salvador G. Mercado, all employees of the Makati City Government.
They said in their complaint that Taguig officials unlawfully detained them during incidents between March 1 and 3, 2024, related to the closure of the Makati Park and Garden and the Makati Aqua Sports Arena (MASA) due to the absence of necessary permits.
The complainants said that they were forcibly confined within the park by Taguig personnel, who either prevented them from leaving or blocked their entry.
But the prosecutor’s office found that the evidence provided did not establish the existence of such accusations.
