THE city government of Manila yesterday filed graft and misconduct complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman against councilor Dennis B. Alcoreza for his failure to divest his interest in two family firms that operated the slaughterhouse in Vitas, Tondo for eight years but did not pay city hall rentals and incomes due it.

City administrator Jesus Mari P. Marzan signed the complaint affidavit in behalf of the city government.

Alcoreza is a known supporter of former Manila Mayor Jose Atienza whose son Ali Atienza ran and lost to incumbent Mayor Alfredo Lim.

Marzan accused Alcoreza of violating RA 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees for maintaining financial interests in Dealco Farms Inc. and Meatworld International Inc., both private firms owned by his family. His father Delfin is president of Dealco which signed a 25-year lease agreement with the city to rehabilitate and modernize the 22,000 square meter property in Vitas where the firm erected the VIB Slaughterhouse.

Marzan said Dealco, in violation of the lease contract, transferred the lease and management of the abattoir to Meatworld, a meat processing company also owned by the Alcoreza family. Meatworld and Dealco, the complaint said, failed to remit the city's 1 percent share in its annual gross income of billions from 2002 to 2007, as well as rental payments and other obligations. Dealco and Meatworld, the complaint, said also evaded payment of real property taxes from 2004 to 2007

Marzan said Alcoreza had "full knowledge" of the transgressions of Dealco and Meatworld being the officer and director in the firms, "yet he did nothing to correct the situation but instead kept silent in the hope of not being discovered."

The city government said Alcoreza cannot deny his proprietary interests in the firms because he "publicly, openly and vigorously avowed his financial and material interests" in the corporations when the city government took over the premises of the VIB Slaughterhouse last July 11.

Alcoreza filed a complaint before the Commission on Human Rights last July 17 against Mayor Lim, Marzan, city legal officer Renato dela Cruz, VIB officer-in-charge Francisco Co; Chief Supt Alejandro Gutierrez of the Manila City Hall police, and Supt. Rolando Miranda, head of MPD Station 1 over Manila officials' violent takeover of the Vitas abattoir.

Alcoreza's sister Jocelyn, Dealco executive vice president, said in the complaint that they were "forcefully ejected along with our employees despite our request to take our personal belongings first and despite our pleas, we were brought out of our office like pigs."

CHR chairperson Leila De Lima has asked all parties to submit documents, legal actions and remedies, medical certificates and affidavits that would give the commission a clearer vision of the human rights situation in the July 11 incident.

De Lima said they are only interested in the human rights angle and not in the legal and judicial concerns and they have to get the whole context before passing any judgment on the case. "This is the preliminary step before we require the respondents to comment and appear for a face-to-face dialogue with the complainants," she said.