ANTIQUE – Tobias Fornier mayor Ernesto Tajanlangit was ordered suspended for six months without pay by the Office of the Ombudsman.
The suspension order, effective September 19, 2024, was signed and issued by Deputy Ombudsman Jose Balmeo, Jr.
The Ombudsman found sufficient grounds in the complaints filed against the mayor. The charges were abuse of authority, conduct unbecoming of a public official, grave misconduct, and violation of Republic Act 6713 (Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees).
The cases stemmed from a complaint of the town’s Vice Mayor Jose Maria Fornier over a dispute on relief goods from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on April 29, 2024. Tobias Fornier that time was under a state of calamity due to the El Niño phenomenon.
Gov. Rhodora Cadiao coursed 500 food packs from the DSWD Region 6 to Fornier.
Tajanlangit was allegedly a political ally of Cong. Antonio Agapito “AA” Legarda and Sen. Loren Legarda while Fornier was an identified party-mate of Gov. Cadiao.
For his part, Tajanlangit said: Bilang local chief executive, kita nakapaidalom sa state of calamity, gani indi ako magsugot nga tana ang managtag tungod ang aton MSWDO ang office nga in-charge sa paglista kag pagpanagtag kang mga biktima kang El Niño phenomenon sa aton banwa.”
He said other municipal officials should not interfere with the distribution of assistance as it is under the MSWDO.
“Kaaraydan kang aton mga kasimanwa ang dapat mangibabaw kag indi ang timprano nga pamulitika. Depensahan ko ang kaaraydan kang tanan labi ron gid ang mga biktima kag El Niño,” said Tajanlangit.
He added: “Nagapangayo gid ako kang pasensya sa akon nangin aksyon tungod gani wara ko mapunggan ang akon kaugalingon. Nag-abot ron ang food packs gani dapat gid makadangat ron sa aton pumuluyo sa mas madali nga panahon.”
With the suspension of Tajanlangit, Vice Mayor Fornier will assume as acting mayor and Sangguniang Bayan member Rene Sandig Magdaog will be the acting vice mayor./PN
