Northern Samar town mayor suspended for abuse of authority
Northern Samar map. INQUIRER FILES
TACLOBAN CITY — The Office of Ombudsman in the Visayas has slapped a six-month suspension without pay against the mayor of Allen town in Northern Samar for grave abuse of authority and oppression.
Mayor Jose Arturo Suan, who is in his second term, officially received the suspension order from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)-Northern Samar on Friday, Jan. 12.
The suspended mayor has tendered his leave of absence a day before the suspension order was served on him.
Suan could not be reached for comment.
The DILG provincial office has named Vice Mayor Christian Lao as the acting mayor while the suspension of Suan is in effect.
READ: Samar provincial board suspends town mayor amid abuse allegations
Councilor Ronnel Cajandab was named acting vice mayor.
The suspension stemmed from a case filed by Maricon Ablig, who claimed that Suan and other local government officials illegally constructed a road on her property without her approval and without following expropriation and just compensation.
The anti-graft court based in Cebu City said Suan violated section (3) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act for “acting with manifest partiality, evident bad faith or gross inexcusable negligence” when he authorized the construction of the road even without asking the permission of Ablig.
The Ombudsman said Suan was not able to provide evidence that the road construction would benefit the public.
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“His deliberate failure to investigate on the propriety of the road construction despite several expressions of disapproval by the complainant, unfortunately, manifests bad faith on his part,” Deputy Ombudsman Jose Balmeo Jr. said in a ruling dated August 30, 2023.
“This oppressive act regretfully resulted to injury on complainant, such that she and her family are now deprived of and/or prevented from fully enjoying their own property,” he added.
