High court asked to intervene in AMWSLAI leadership tussle

MANILA, Philippines - One of the factions within the Air Materiel Wing Savings and Loan Association, Inc. (AMWSLAI) have asked the Supreme Court to set oral arguments to resolve a leadership tussle. In an urgent motion, the group of Col. Ricardo Nolasco, Jr. said this will help settle the dispute "in the interest of substantial justice" and to protect the more than 200,000 members of the group. AMWSLAI is the P14-billion savings and loan association of members of the resource-rich logistics unit of the Air Force. "It is respectfully submitted that it would be best if this court set the incident at bar for oral argument to enable both parties to be heard fully so that all the material issues may be more intelligently discussed and properly resolved," Mr. Nolasco’s group said. Mr. Nolasco, along with Thaddeus Estalilla, Morado Mercado, Ismael Abad, Ricardo Perido, Angel Tapac, Antonio Gumba, and Cesar Toledanes, were elected on Jan. 18 as the new members of AMWSLAI’s board of trustees. Their election was questioned by the group of retired Col. Luvin Manay based on an earlier Supreme Court decision that allowed them to remain as "holdover members until the elections and proclamation of winners in a valid, lawful and orderly elections." Mr. Nolasco’s group claimed the election was held in accordance with the high court’s ruling as well as the bylaws of AMWSLAI. "The arguments raised in the private respondents’ omnibus motion are so blatantly and glaringly flawed that to act favorably thereon would be to set a bad precedent and risk eroding the faith and trust in the judicial system especially in these tumultuous times where the people’s faith in government institutions is being put to great test by numerous scandals," the group said. — Ira P. Pedrasa, BusinessWorld