Malacañang puts on hold Pulido’s 30-day suspension
LINGAYEN– The 30-day suspension of Anda Mayor Nestor Pulido has been put on hold by Malacañang after he appealed to the Office of the President on January 29 to reverse the provincial board’s decision.
A letter signed by Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita dated Feb. 18, 2009, a copy of which was shown by Pulido to local media last week, reads: “Pursuant to Section 6 of Administrative Order No. 18, series of 1987, and so as not to render moot the resolution of the instant appeal, the execution and implementation of Provincial Resolution No. 12-2009 dated January 26, 2009 of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Pangasinan, imposing the penalty of 30 days suspension from office of appellant mayor is hereby STAYED”.
The letter directs the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to forward to The Office of the President within 15 days from receipt of the letter the complete records of the case with each page consequently numbered and initialed by the custodian of records.
“This is a very welcome development because from the very start, the board’s decision was very unfair,” Pulido told The PUNCH.
The suspension order was issued by the provincial board after finding him administratively liable for grave abuse of authority.
Ermita’s letter also directs the Department of the Interior and Local Government to immediately implement the “stay” order.
“It’s practically dead in the water,” said Pulido, adding that the stay order in the letter is indefinite.
Pulido was administratively charged by his town vice mayor and five councilors for illegally disbursing P50,000 without an enabling resolution from the municipal board to buy food items for the people who had to be evacuated during a tsunami scare in December 2007.
Pulido maintains that the provincial board disregarded a directive of the National Disaster Coordinating Council indicating that mayors can use 50 percent of the emergency fund of their town without a council resolution.
Anda at that time had a P2 million reserve fund.#
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