Mayor to enforce village officials’ suspension

By Felipe V. Celino 

ROXAS CITY, Capiz — Mayor Receliste Escolin of President Roxas, Capiz will implement the six-month suspension of barangay officials of Brgy. Cabugcabug once he receives the Ombudsman order.

The mayor said that he has yet to receive a copy of the suspension order against Punong Barangay Alfonso Golero of Cabugcabug, Kagawads Ma. Leonora Canindo Mejica, Jose Buco Jr., Thelma Antonio, Francis Beluso, Joel Canindo; and Barangay Secretary Joenard Buco.

Office of the Ombudsman Visayas suspended the seven officials for six months after they were found guilty of grave misconduct.

The five kagawads are also members of the barangay’s Bids and Awards Committee (BAC).

Escolin said that he received a letter from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) informing him of the Ombudsman decision.

“I could not act or implement yet until I receive the decision of the Ombudsman,” Escolin said.

He clarified that he was not the complainant of the case but Santiago Burgos, the man whom the Sangguniang Bayan of President Roxas declared persona non-grata. Golero was the vice mayor and presiding officer during that time.

Based on the 16-page Ombudsman decision, the respondents were guilty of the charge for faking the documents regarding the use of funds of the Department of Labor and Employment Livelihood Emergency Employment Program (DOLE-LEEP) in the amount of P718,605.

The funds were intended to be used to procure hog feeds, vitamins and other supplements for the hog raising business of the cooperative in their barangay.

But during the investigation conducted by the NBI, it was found out that Golero used the receipt of one of the suppliers from the town of Sigma to prove the delivery of supplies.

Considering that there was connivance between Golero and the BAC members, the barangay kagawads and secretary were included in the corruption case.