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JUST 2 WEEKS AWAY FROM JURY TRIAL
OAG drops charges vs former Rota mayor
Just two weeks away from a scheduled jury trial on Rota, the Office of the Attorney General moved yesterday to drop the charges against former Rota mayor Melchor A. Mendiola and four other former Rota municipal employees.
Assistant attorney general Matthew C. Baisley requested the Superior Court to dismiss the criminal case against Mendiola and co-defendants Stacey Atalig, Tina Atalig, Alfred Apatang, and Bernard Apatang.
“The Commonwealth believes the…case should be dismissed in the interest of justice,” said Baisley in the motion. He did not cite a reason.
The prosecution, however, could still re-open the case in the future.
Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho will hear the government’s motion on Wednesday at 1:30pm.
The trial was set for Jan. 25, 2016.
The government’s earlier sought to add another charge—possession or removal of government property—against the defendants but Camacho denied the request, saying that adding another offense that would require a different defense strategy to close to trial prejudices the defendants.
The defendants are charged with theft. They all pleaded not guilty.
According to the first amended information, Mendiola took nine picnic tables owned by the Rota Mayor’s Office on and between September 2014 and Feb. 26, 2015.
Alfred Apatang is the former field supervisor of then-mayor Mendiola. He is accused of stealing a Toshiba Satellite laptop valued at $975 that belonged to the Rota Mayor’s Office.
Bernard Apatang allegedly stole a Toshiba Satellite laptop from the Rota Office of Finance worth $975.
Stacey Ann Atalig is accused of stealing a Toshiba Tecra laptop from the Rota Office of Finance valued at $2,049. She is a former Rota Finance resident director.
Tina Atalig allegedly stole a Toshiba Satellite laptop worth over $250 and less than $20,000 belonging to Rota Mayor’s Office. She was the secretary of then-mayor Mendiola.
Office of Public Auditor Task Force officer JB K. Cepeda stated in his report that they initiated the investigation after receiving a letter from Rota Mayor Efrain M. Atalig, requesting assistance to look into Mendiola’s “questionable transactions.”
Cepeda said Atalig apparently discovered that government properties such as computer laptops, folding tables, typewriter, and other items were unaccounted for or missing.
