News Briefs

Simple misconduct

A barangay chief of Alegria town in Cebu was found guilty of simple misconduct for mauling a physically challenged woman last year.

The Ombudsman-Visayas imposed a one-month and one-day suspension against Maria Theresa Zamora, barangay captain of Legaspi, Alegria, Cebu.

However, the suspension was deemed moot due to her reelection.

Under the Aguinaldo doctrine, reelection of a public official to office condones his or her previous mistakes.

The case against Zamora stemmed from the complaint filed by Rachel Endab, also of barangay Legaspi.

Endab accused Zamora of punching her face, pulling her hair and twisting her arm.

The complainant, who is suffering from poliomyelitis, said she could not defend herself from Zamora’s attacks.

Zamora denied the accusations, saying she was sleeping in her room when Endab shouted outside her house and challenged her to a fight. But their neighbors came and pacified Endab. Reporter Ador Vincent Mayol

’Devolve cases’

DEPUTY Ombudsman for the Visayas Pelagio Apostol is seeking the revocation of a memorandum which mandates local anti-graft offices to endorse all cases on  high-ranking government officials to the Ombudsman central office in Manila.

In an interview, Apostol said he requested Tanodbayan Conchita Carpio-Morales to recall the 2008 directive so he can resolve major graft cases.

He cited the Capitol’s controversial purchase of the Balili beach property in Naga City and the alleged overpriced construction of the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) in Mandaue City.

“It is but proper for the Ombusman Visayas to resolve cases emanating from the Visayas,” Apostol told Cebu Daily News.

In 2008, former Tanodbayan Merciditas Gutierrez issued a memorandum that instructed all regional offices of the Ombudsman to forward to the Preliminary Investigation, Administrative, Adjudication, and Review Bureau (PARB) all complaints involving governors, vice governors and board members.

This was intended to “further expedite and accelerate the conduct” of investigations involving  high-ranking  public officials.

But Apostol said there will be speedy disposition of the cases if local offices of the Ombudsman will be given the responsibility to resolve them.

“Why do these cases have to be forwarded to Manila? There are delays in the process,” he said.

Apostol said he is still waiting for Morales to rule on his request to revoke the 2008 memorandum.

Both cases had Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia as respondent. Reporter Ador Vincent Mayol