TRO on Caloocan mayor suspension issued by CA

THE FIVE-DAY vigil of supporters of Caloocan Mayor Recom Echiverri has ended, with the holding of a victory party on Friday after the Court of Appeals (CA) issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) on the implementation of the Ombudsman’s order suspending the city official.

The order issued on June 18 stemmed from a complaint of Vice Mayor Edgar Erice in the Office of the Ombudsman on July 7 against Echiverri and three other officials for allegedly not remitting contributions of the city hall employees to the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS).

“The TRO only means there is no space for lies, defamation, and opportunism here in Caloocan … I am telling you this mayor will not go down without a fight,” Echiverri said in a press conference attended by other city government and barangay officials.

The 14th division of the appellate court issued the TRO effective for 60 days, saying the suspension of the public officials involved “will undeservedly deprive the citizens of Caloocan of the services they are entitled to.”

Acting Ombudsman Orlando Casimiro earlier acted on the complaint by ordering a six-month preventive suspension against the mayor.

Hundreds of the mayor’s supporters attended a Mass in front of city hall in the morning, followed by a program about Echiverri and his accomplishments.

But while Echiverri’s camp was in a celebratory mood, the mayor’s accuser, Vice Mayor Edgar Erice, said there was nothing to rejoice about.

“This TRO is wrong. The CA prevented the Office of the Ombudsman from doing its job, that is to investigate the wrongdoings of government officials,” he told Inquirer.

“The aggrieved here are employees who, for six years, had not received their dividends and other benefits,” he said.

GSIS records show that the total debts of Caloocan City as of Dec. 31, 2010 amounted to P343,814,739.85, representing principal and interest for the unpaid compulsory premiums.