DILG-Iloilo awaits Ombudsman order on Zarraga officials’ dismissal

By Mariela Angella Oladive

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)-Iloilo said it has not yet received an official copy of the Ombudsman’s order dismissing Zarraga Mayor Jofel Soldevilla and Vice Mayor Michael Omar Lacson over a PHP 11.6 million land deal that also led to graft charges.

DILG-Iloilo Director Carmelo Orbista said their office only learned about the decision through news reports and is still waiting for the formal transmittal from the Office of the Ombudsman.

He said that unlike in previous years, when the DILG central office implemented the Ombudsman’s decisions, the Ombudsman now directly enforces its orders to local government units.

“Since early this year, the Ombudsman has been directly implementing its orders to the LGUs. In our case, our role is to ascertain whether the dismissed officials have vacated their posts and if their successors have already assumed office,” Orbista said Wednesday, Oct. 15.

Once the memorandum is received, Orbista said he will submit a report to the regional office, which will then issue directives to verify compliance.

Citing Section 45 of the Local Government Code, Orbista said the first- and second-ranking members of the Sangguniang Bayan will assume the positions of mayor and vice mayor, respectively, since the dismissal is permanent.

He said the seventh- and eighth-ranking SB seats will then be filled based on political party affiliation, in accordance with Supreme Court rulings on succession.

Section 45 states that only the nominee of the political party under which the elevated sanggunian member was elected shall fill the resulting vacancy.

The appointee must come from the same political party and submit a nomination and certificate of membership signed by the party’s highest official.

Any appointment made without these requirements will be considered null and void ab initio.

The Office of the Ombudsman earlier found Soldevilla and Lacson guilty of grave misconduct for entering into a contract to sell a 6,585-square-meter property owned by Lacson’s late father without proper authority, and for pricing it above the PHP 5 million allocation approved in the town’s 2023 budget.

The Ombudsman also found seven other municipal officials guilty of simple misconduct and imposed a six-month suspension without pay.

In the case of a former councilor who lost his reelection bid in 2025, the suspension was converted into a fine equivalent to six months of his basic salary.

The case stemmed from a complaint filed by then-councilor Andre Bon Sumagaysay, who questioned the legality of the transaction.