Bulacan mayor steps down to serve 9-month suspension

SAN ILDEFONSO, Bulacan — Mayor Paula Carla Galvez-Tan on Wednesday stepped down to serve a nine-month suspension imposed by the Office of the Ombudsman for interrupting a municipal council session last year due to a budget dispute.

The order was served by the Department of the Interior and Local Government, aided by the Bulacan police.

Vice Mayor Luis Sarrondo took over as acting Mayor and will serve that post until May 2019.

Before her term ended, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales approved Tan’s suspension on June 11 for “Conduct Prejudicial to the Best Interest of the Service,” addressing a complaint filed by Sarrondo and Councilors Alexander Galvez, Eriberto Magbitang, Roderick Salvador, and Edgardo Vergel on August 4, 2017.

Sarrondo and the councilors said Tan disrupted their January 24, 2017 session and berated them for not passing the 2017 budget ordinance.

The complainants also said the mayor prevented her department heads from attending the sessions when the council deliberated on the budget, and threatened everyone inside the session hall that they would not be allowed to leave without approving the budget.

The mayor had disputed the councilors’ narrative, saying that she politely approached Vergel during recess and was in the middle of an emotional discussion with him when the session resumed.

“In the present case, the most serious offense committed by respondent is Conduct Prejudicial to the Best Interest of the Service where the penalty imposed is six months. Finding substantial evidence, with the aggravating circumstance for the Simple Misconduct, respondent Paula Galvez -Tan is found administratively liable and is meted the penalty of suspension from office for 9 months without pay, ” the Ombudsman said.

“There is substantial evidence to find respondent administratively liable for Simple Misconduct for shouting and confronting complainant Vergel during the board session,” the Ombudsman added. /ee