THE Office of the Ombudsman in the Visayas admonished a barangay councilor who scolded a barangay tanod.
Alex Fernandez of barangay San Nicolas, Cebu City, wasn’t held liable for misconduct.
But he was warned that “the same act may subject him to serious sanctions and with a reminder that he should conduct himself in a manner worthy of a public official even in his private dealings with others.”
The case stemmed from a complaint filed by Nicanor Yap who said he was humiliated by Fernandez in a public road on Feb. 26, 2010.
Yap said the barangay councilor was agitated because he wasn’t told about a meeting attended by barangay tanods in San Nicolas. Yap said that the meeting was intended for barangay tanods and the chairman of the barangay’s peace and order committee.
Since Fernandez was not the chairman, Yap said his presence wasn’t needed.
The next day, Yap said he was sitting outside a store when the Fernandez approached and confronted him.
Yap said the councilor was drunk when he scolded him in front of other tanods along the road.
The Ombudsman Visayas found no basis to cite the councilor for misconduct but said it was improper for the confrontation to have taken place along a public road. /REPORTER ADOR VINCENT S. MAYOL