Northern Samar mayor dismissed for nepotism
TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte, Philippines — For appointing his sister to the board of directors of the local water district in 2008, Mayor Timoteo Capoquian Jr. of Gamay town in Northern Samar province was ordered dismissed from service by the Supreme Court for nepotism.
The high tribunal also ordered the perpetual disqualification from public service of Capoquian, who also served as mayor from 2007 to 2016; the forfeiture of his retirement benefits; and the cancellation of his eligibility to work in the government.
The dismissal order served by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) was delivered to Capoquian by the DILG’s municipal operations officer, Vincent Villanueva, only on March 26. The ruling was promulgated by the Supreme Court in April 2019.
Vice Mayor Clarita Gomba took her oath as the new mayor of the town before Judge Alejo Calvo, presiding judge of the First Municipal Circuit Trial Court in Gamay. Councilor Cyril Costuna was sworn in as the town’s vice mayor.
No comment
Capoquian declined to issue a statement on the high court’s ruling.
The case against Capoquian, a longtime mayor of the town of more than 26,000 people, stemmed from a complaint questioning his appointment of his sister, Raquel, as a director of Gamay Water District 13 years ago.
The high tribunal said Capoquian violated Section 79 of Republic Act No. 7160 (Local Government Code), prohibiting an appointing or recommending authority to appoint in the career service of the local government a relative within the fourth civil degree of consanguinity or affinity.
Section 49 of Presidential Decree No. 807 (Civil Service Decree of the Philippines) also prohibits all appointments in the government made in favor of a relative of the appointing authority.
During the 2016 elections, Capoquian ran and won as vice mayor of the town but eventually took over as mayor when the then local chief executive, Enrique Gomba, was dismissed by the Office of the Ombudsman, also for nepotism.
Gomba had also appointed his wife, now the new mayor of Gamay, to the local water district.
