Village exec gets 18 years for usurpation of authority

BAGUIO CITY—A judge here sentenced a village chief to 18 years in prison after finding her guilty of 54 counts of usurpation of authority when she continued to act as chair of Barangay Bakakeng Central while serving her six-month suspension.

In an April 30 decision, Municipal Trial Court in Cities Judge Leody Opolinto said Helen Miranda had pleaded guilty for signing government documents and addressing village cases as barangay chair on days she was supposed to have been serving her six-month suspension, which ended on May 3.

Miranda had applied for probation on Friday. The complaints were filed by members of the village council and by former village officials. Vincent Cabreza, Inquirer Northern Luzon