Village officials suspended for grave misconduct

By Felipe V. Celino 

ROXAS CITY, Capiz— An incumbent punong barangay, five kagawads (council members), and the barangay secretary of President Roxas, Capiz were suspended for six months after they were found guilty of grave misconduct by the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas.

Ordered suspended sans pay were 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.

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

The case stemmed from the complaint filed by Santiago Burgos.

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 National Bureau of Investigation (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.

The six-month suspension will be implemented by Mayor Receliste Escolin of President Roxas anytime soon.

Golero and the involved kagawads and secretary have yet to comment on the decision of the Ombudsman.

A former vice mayor of President Roxas, Golero filed several charges against Escolin after the latter assumed as the town’s chief executive.

Escolin also filed several charges against Golero as counteraction.

It was learned that some of the charges filed by Golero were dismissed by the Ombudsman for lack of merit.