By MAGTANGGOL C. VILAR
PANTABANGAN, Nueva Ecija — Hundreds of employees of this town are adversely affected by unresolved election protest case involving the mayoralty position.
They criticized the allege inaction of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on the question of who is the duly elected mayor of this town.
It’s been a long time now, with Christmas just around the corner, and yet, the municipal government’s employees of Pantabangan have not received their wages for services rendered since last May.
Last Dec. 2, the local branch of the Philippine National Bank (PNB) received a writ of preliminary mandatory injunction from Cabanatuan City Regional Trial Court Judge Rodrigo S. Caspillo of Branch 24 who enjoined the bank "to release to, upon withdrawal by, petitioner Lucio B. Uera from the municipality’s deposit accounts."
However, the bank is unyielding in its tight hold of the money deposited with it by the municipal government of Pantabangan.
On the day of the service of the writ to PNB Branch Manger Emmanuel Javier, lCourt Sheriff Roberto U. Onzo reported that the bank did not comply with the court’s order.
Onzo said Pantabangan Mayor Lucio Uera, who was present at the bank in Cabanatuan City together with his legal counsel, Maria Concepcion O. Ojeda, "tried to make withdrawal from the deposits in the said bank, however, they were refused withdrawal."
Mrs. Zosima A. Ferrer, sales and service head of the bank, who received the copy of the writ for Javier, had reasoned out that "she has no authority to allow such withdrawal and [that] she will coordinate first the matter with the legal division at the head office in Pasay City."
The controversial cash deposit subject of litigation here represents Pantabangan town’s revenues and internal revenue allotment (IRA) released by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM)
The controversy took root from the controversial Nov. 5, 2004 decision rendered by San Jose City Regional Trial Court ruling that Romeo Borja was the duly elected mayor of Pantabangan. However, this was annulled and set aside by the Comelec.
The Comelec ordered that the "status quo" be observed, which means that the Comelec-proclaimed Mayor Uera will sit as the town’s chief executive.
Court sources said that Uera’s camp is set to file a contempt charges against the PNB bank branch manager to compel him to cause the release of the town’s funds which, to this date, has accumulated to some P18 million. 
