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Tuesday, January 24, 2017
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CEBU City – Barangay Ermita has remained without officials after the Office of the Ombudsman – Visayas suspended its barangay captain and seven councilmen for failing to assist an antidrug operation.
In the absence of a law specifying who shall take over a village when all its officials get suspended, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Region 7 referred the suspension of Barangay Captain Felicismo Rupinta and the councilmen to its central office.
“This is the first time something like this happened in Central Visayas,” said Regional Director Rene Burdeos. “We believe it is the president who has the authority to choose persons whose appointment is not provided for by law.”
The Ombudsman preventively suspended all Ermita barangay officials pending an investigation into their alleged failure to cooperate in a drug raid in November 2016.
Deputy Ombudsman Paul Elmer Clemente temporarily stripped the respondents of their power and responsibilities until the administrative adjudication on the case was completed, “but not to exceed six months without pay.”
“The continued stay by any of the respondents in office may prejudice the case filed against them,” Clemente said in an order dated Jan. 16.
Also suspended were Marky Rizaldy Miral, Antonieto Flores, Ryan Jay Rosas, Alio Tamundo, Domingo Ando, Maria Buanghug, and Wilbert Flores.
“There [is] a possibility of unhampered access and undue influence by respondents to any potential witness to the case by virtue of their respective positions and their proximity to the area where the antidrug operation conducted by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Central Visayas took place,” he said.
The suspension stemmed from the complaint filed by PDEA regional director Yogi Filemon Ruiz that the respondents did not cooperate with the agency during the operation in a “shabu tiangge,” just 500 meters from the barangay hall, on Nov. 6, 2016.
Suspected shabu worth P800,000 were seized, while Richard Cañete, allegedly maintaining the “shabu tiangge,” was arrested.
But Rupinta filed on Jan. 20 a motion for reconsideration against the order. He claimed it was “unfair and unjust” and there was no due process since they were not given a chance to answer the accusations. (PNA)
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