Mall execs post bail

Two officials of the Gaisano Mall Davao, accused of refusing a deaf mute city government employee from serving as movie ticket checker, have reportedly posted bail on Wednesday.
The Municipal Trial Court Branch 3, through its clerk of court, confirmed that respondents Jessica Canasa, Gaisano Mall cinema supervisor, and mall comptroller Joe Choa-Shi have paid the P12,000-bail bond for charges of violating Republic Act No. 7277 known as the Magna Carta for Persons with Disability filed by one Grace Sarion, 30, a resident of Matina Crossing in Davao City.
The case was assigned to the sala of Judge Silverio Mandalupe of Municipal Trial Court 11th Judicial Region Branch 3.
The clerk of court, who refused to be identified, said the court has set the initial hearing of the case on June 28.
However, unconfirmed reports surfaced late yesterday that the camp of complainant Sarion, who is employed at the City Treasurers Office and now assigned as movie ticket checker at NCCC Mall, might drop the charges.
Sources said Sarion is reportedly preparing to file an affidavit of desistance. According to the same report, she was expected to personally submit the affidavit yesterday afternoon but she was nowhere to be seen until 5 o’clock pm.
Edge Davao tried to confirm this with Sarion, but messages to her were not returned as of presstime.
Earlier yesterday, Sarion was invited for a meeting at the Vice Mayor’s Office for reasons which were not divulged by the said office. A staff of Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte confirmed that Sarion was in the office at around 12:00 noon.
Meantime, Redendo Martinez, president of the Association of Differently-Able Persons (ADAP), wondered why he was not notified about the meeting. Martinez said his office, is handling the case.
ADAP is an accredited non-government organization representing the differently-abled sector holding office at the ground floor of the Sangguniang Panlungsod. The Vice Mayor’s Office is at the second level of the same building.
He said he has no idea what was discussed in the meeting at the Vice Mayor’s office with Sarion and expressed concern for the complainant.
This developed even as there were reports that the mall officials did not receive summons or notifications about the case from the City Prosecutor’s Office prior to receiving the copy of the case docketed as Municipal Trial Court Criminal Case No. 145.721-20 dated April 01, 2013.
However, the resolution made by city prosecutor Marte Melchor Velasco dated February 20, 2013 that, “a notice was sent at the given address of the respondent, but no counter-affidavit was filed.”