Nagpahayag ng pagkadismaya ang Center for Local and Regional Governance (CLRG), sa ilalim ng UP Diliman National College of Public Administration and Governance matapos mapag-alaman na ang ipinadala ni Councilor Richard Maurice Robes ay ang kanyang anak na lalaki na si Barangay Kagawad Richard Maurice Robes III, para dumalo sa seminar na may pamagat na Introduction to Excellence in Local Legislation (iExcelL) na ginanap noong Agosto 5 hanggang 9 ngayong taon.
Sinasabing nakipag-sabwatan si Kagawad Robes sa mga kapwa nito attendees, na sina Councilors Liezl Aguirre-Abat at Vanessa Michelle Roquero, para ipaalam sa CLRG na siya nga si Councilor Robes.
Sa kanilang liham, sinabi ng CLRG: “it is with great regret that our Center decided to withhold their Certificates of Completion given information that we received regarding the identity of the person who attended as Councilor Robes.”
“On the last day of the course, it came to our attention that someone who identified himself as Councilor Robes, but was not Councilor Robes, was attending in his stead,” dagdag pa sa sulat na nilagdaan ni CLRG Director Erwin Alampay.
Sabi ni Alampay “ our training staff then requested for a meeting with the three councilors to verify this information. During this meeting, we were able to establish that the person who claimed to be Councilor Robes was actually his son, Barangay Kagawad Richard Maurice Robes III, who was instructed by his father to attend the program in his place.”
“Further, Councilors Aguirre-Abat and Roquero, when prompted to verify the identity of Councilor Robes answered in affirmative that he is who he claimed to be,” saad pa ni Alampay.
Ayon pa sa CLRT “ we had explicitly mentioned in our course requirements and during the course briefing on the first day that only registered participants were allowed to attend the program and that no substitutes are allowed.”
Ikinadismaya din ng grupo na wala man lamang nagsabi kina Robes, Aguirre-Abat at Roquero sa center sa loob ng limang araw na seminar na may humalili kay Konsehal Robes. Nalungkot ang grupo sa naturang pangyayari.