What’s in a name?
Dumaguete Councilor Antonio “TonyRems” Remollo is facing questions about his true identity, after critics have accused him of using different names in his official documents.
In an interview with reporters, Councilor Karissa Tolentino-Maxino admitted to having heard reports that Councilor Remollo’s names in his passport, birth certificate, and certificate of candidacy do not match.
Councilor Remollo ran and won as ‘Antonio Remollo’ but since his Facebook page was hacked, he had changed his name to ‘Demosthenes Remollo’.
“I hope this is not true because there could be consequences if a person uses different names,” Tolentino said.
She said anyone using fictitious names could be charged for Falsification of Public Documents, as well as Conduct Unbecoming of a Public Official, if the person doing so is a City councilor, and may be charged before Ombudsman, the Comelec, and in the lower courts in Dumaguete.
“This is dangerous because if a person is being charged of a crime using one of the names, he can easily say he is not that person, and can use another name,” she said.
For his part, Mayor Felipe Antonio Remollo said he has not called for the resignation of his cousin TonyRems Remollo, contrary to an earlier news report on social media.
“I cannot call on him to resign because I don’t know if I will ask Antonio or Demosthenes to resign.”
Councilor Remollo, however, seems unfazed by the issue, saying he sees it as a move to divert the issue as to who is the cause for the delay in the approval of the budget and the Annual Investment Plan.
Councilor Remollo said if he can prove that he is Antonio Remollo, the Mayor should resign.
Asked what document he has that shows that his name is also Antonio Remollo, the Councilor said he can present the document in court. (AP)
