NPP lawmaker seeks probe into alleged political harassment stemming from PDP presidential race

Former Gov. Alejandro García Padilla

By The Star Staff

The New Progressive Party (NPP) alternate minority leader in the island House of Representatives, Gabriel Rodríguez Aguiló, filed a resolution this week to investigate allegations by former Gov. Alejandro García Padilla regarding cases of political persecution in the municipalities.

García Padilla said Popular Democratic Party (PDP) municipal employees are being politically harassed as part of the primary contest for the PDP presidency.

Three candidates are running for PDP president: Morovis Mayor Carmen Maldonado González, Villalba Mayor Luis Javier Hernández Ortiz, and Rep. Jesús Manuel Ortiz González.

House Resolution 980 introduced by Rodríguez Aguiló orders the House Anti-Corruption and Public Integrity Committee to investigate “the possible commission of crimes or ethical violations related to behaviors of threats, discrimination, and political persecution, and any other act of corruption following the accusations made by former Governor Alejandro García Padilla about what could be considered political persecution within the Municipalities whose Mayors belong to the Popular Democratic Party.”

Rodríguez Aguiló said “political persecution or reprisals for association have no place in our justice system.”

“Our Constitution is clear and forceful,” he said. “With this resolution, we want the committee to investigate in depth the assertions of ex-governor García Padilla that point to the commission of crimes against the labor rights of various municipal public employees with the same diligence with which the legislative majority sent down a resolution to investigate the possible commission of crimes or ethical violations in a political event.”

Similarly, he urged public officials to step forward in denouncing acts of persecution or reprisals based on association.

“Public employees must be sure that their rights are watched over and protected,” the NPP lawmaker said. “Any irregularity or illegal action has to come to light and have consequences, wherever it comes from.”

Meanwhile, NPP Vice President Carlos “Johnny” Méndez Nuñez, along with Reps. José Aponte Hernández and Víctor Parés Alicea, invited Maldonado González to reveal the alleged “skeletons in the closet” of her two opponents in the May 7 special election.

During a debate between Maldonado González, Ortiz González and Hernández Ortiz, the Morovis mayor said “a leader like me does not have skeletons in the closet to monitor other political parties.”

“Yesterday [Wednesday] the mayor of Morovis said her rival candidates for the presidency of the Popular Party have ‘skeletons in the closet’ around the issue of corruption,” Méndez Nuñez said. “She basically said that Ortiz and Hernández cannot lead that party because they have corruption issues. That is a strong assertion that deserves an explanation regarding what issues are behind these candidacies.”