Cabanatuan vice mayor repacked relief goods in 2016 polls

The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the dismissal of Cabanatuan City Vice Mayor Emmanuel Antonio Umali and 10 others for allegedly repacking relief goods from the Department of Social Welfare and Development and then distributing them during the 2016 election campaign.

The Ombudsman held Umali and the other city officials liable for grave misconduct, grave abuse of authority and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.

Aside from Umali, the dismissed officials include city Councilors Gabriel Calling and Johnero Mercado, barangay chairs Ramon Garcia and Richard Medina.

The sanctions arose from the complaint filed by Josephine Libunao, who claimed that the relief goods were repacked in plastic bags without the DSWD label in January 2016.

A few days later Umali, Calling, Mercado, Garcia and Medina, as well as then-Gov. Aurelio Umali distributed the relief goods in a “gift-giving activity.” —Vince F. Nonato