2 Nueva Ecija mayors serve suspension

CABANATUAN CITY—Two mayors of Nueva Ecija were suspended for two months by the Office of the Ombudsman due to separate complaints of abuse filed by government employees in their towns last year.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Friday implemented the suspension of San Isidro Mayor Cesario Lopez Jr. and Talugtog Mayor Quintino Caspillo Jr., both of whom will not receive their salaries for two months.

Abraham Pascua, DILG provincial director, said the agency installed San Isidro Vice Mayor Edgardo Paez to assume Lopez’s post while Vice Mayor Floro Pagaduan Jr. would become the acting mayor of Talugtog.

The suspension orders against Lopez and Caspillo were issued on Nov. 23 and 24 last year by former Deputy Ombudsman for Luzon Mark Jalandoni, which were approved by then Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez.

However, it was only on May 27 this year when DILG Undersecretary Austere Panadero issued a memorandum directing the DILG office in Central Luzon to implement the mayors’ suspension, based on the latest order from Assistant Ombudsman Rolando Zoleta.

In San Isidro, Elmer Garcia, the town’s former assessor, filed a complaint for grave abuse against Lopez for allegedly removing him from his post in July 2010.

Garcia said he was appointed municipal assessor by former Mayor Sonia Lorenzo on Dec. 12, 2005, but Lopez dismissed him in a memorandum circular issued on July 19, 2010, less than a month after Lopez assumed his post as mayor of San Isidro. The circular directed the most senior career officer in Garcia’s office to take his place.

Garcia said Lopez ordered the town treasurer, accountant and human resource management officer to withhold his salaries and benefits, and his name dropped from the payroll.

Lopez, however, denied Garcia’s allegations. He said the validation of Garcia’s appointment was “not final because it was a subject to the resolution of a petition for review” filed by Warlito Casares, the assessor who was reportedly terminated by Lorenzo.

Casares was reinstated on Nov. 27, 2009, on the order of the Supreme Court. Lopez said Garcia’s appointment was terminated when Lorenzo reinstated Casares.

Casares, however, retired on Dec. 3, 2009, a few days after his reinstatement.

Garcia said he was never reappointed to the position after Casares’ retirement.

The Ombudsman said Garcia had shown that he was issued a valid appointment, which had not been revoked or declared invalid. It said the appointment was affirmed by the Civil Service Commission.

In Talugtog, the complainant, former municipal engineer Leonides Esperon, accused Caspillo of placing him in a floating status a few days after the mayor assumed office in July 2010.

Caspillo appointed Wilson Nimenzo, who came from the private sector, as acting municipal engineer.

Esperon said he was deprived of his representation and travel allowances for July and August 2010, which he said were given to Nimenzo.

The Ombudsman found the motion seeking Caspillo’s suspension “meritorious.” It said there was no evidence showing Nimenzo was an employee of the town government at the time of his designation as OIC (officer in charge) municipal engineer.

Citing a Supreme Court ruling, it said a designated OIC is considered a caretaker of the office while the regular employee holding the position is on leave of absence.

It said there was no evidence showing Esperon was “temporarily incapacitated” to discharge his duties that would require the designation of an OIC.

It also described Caspillo’s designation of Nimenzo as hasty, which may constitute oppression or abuse of authority.

Caspillo said he would appeal the Ombudsman’s decision.