Bayambang vice mayor, 5 dads suspended

By June 19, 2016Headlines, News

FOR SIMPLE MISCONDUCT

BAYAMBANG—The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the suspension from office for three months without pay the town’s vice mayor here and five other councilors for simple misconduct.

In a seven-page order dated May 10 signed by Graft Investigation and Prosecution Officer Allan John Atienza and approved by Deputy Ombudsman for Luzon Gerard Mosquera, it found substantial evidence against respondents Vice Mayor Mylvin Junio and Councilors Raul Sabangan, Alan de Vera, Gerardo Flores, Joseph Vincent Ramos and Levin Uy.

The order said that in the event that the penalty of suspension can no longer be enforced due to respondent’s separation from the service, “the penalty shall be converted into a fine in an amount equivalent to respondent’s salary for three months payable to the Office of the Ombudsman and may be deductible from respondent’s retirement benefits, accrued leave credits or any receivable from his office”.

The order also directed the secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to implement the decision immediately upon receipt thereof.

The case against the vice mayor and five councilors for dishonesty was filed on May 21, 2015 by Mayor Ricardo Camacho.

Camacho claimed that on April 14, 2014, respondents made malicious and baseless imputations against him by filing before the Ombudsman a verified complaint-affidavit dated April 7, 2015 that he purchased a vehicle without conducting the necessary bidding and authority from the municipal council.

The Ombudsman ruled that, “Respondents could have conveniently inquired from the BAC (Bids and Awards Committee) for the bidding documents of the subject procurement instead of hastily concluding that no public bidding was conducted for such purpose and initiating the instant complaint. As it turned out, there was publication and posting for the procurement of the motor vehicle, showing that a public bidding was conducted therefor. As such, they are administratively liable for simple misconduct.”

Councilor Levin Uy told The PUNCH Wednesday that they were set to file a motion for reconsideration last Friday.

He maintained they have proofs that they did not bypass the BAC and they have documents to show that the mayor had been consistently stopping department heads from appearing before the municipal council sessions whenever they were invited to discuss issues.

Meanwhile, he said they are wondering why the Ombudsman ruled on the counter charge of the mayor against them but the main charge they filed against the mayor for administrative and criminal charges against him for such questionable purchase of vehicle are still pending.

Mr. Uy pointed out that a separate counter charge filed by the mayor against them for perjury had been dismissed by the Ombudsman in a decision dated May 10, 2016.  “But the mayor is not telling the media and the people about that,” he said.

In its ruling, the Ombudsman said “There is no showing of willful and deliberate assertion of falsehood on the part of respondents when they executed the complaint-affidavit dated 14 April, 2014.” (Tita Roces)

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