Aloguinsan mayor says suspension unnecessary

ALOGUINSAN Mayor Cynthia Moreno described Sandiganbayan’s 90-day preventive suspension order against her and seven other town officials for a 2007 graft unnecessary.

Since authorities have already finished their investigation on the case including the presentation of evidence by the complainants, Moreno said the “order does not serve its purpose.”

The suspension order was served Wednesday afternoon by representatives of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Central Visayas in The Ranch Resort, Toledo City where town officials had their executive-legislative agenda.

Mayor Moreno’s husband and municipal vice mayor, Augustus Moreno, automatically assumed the vacant office.

Moreno said she could understand why the court pushed through with the suspension when she filed a motion for reconsideration on September 19.

Following the hearing for the motion, Sandiganbayan should have given 10 days for the prosecution to comment, she said.

“I just follow orders. Exhaust all means under the law but if they won’t allow it, we cannot force them,” she told reporters in an interview yesterday.

“Anyway, this suspension is still preventive, this is not a penalty. We have yet to see the court’s final decision,” she added.

Moreno’s graft case stemmed from a supply contract for steel materials for the Aloguinsan Municipal Hall that was allegedly awarded without a public bidding in 2007.

Former Aloguinsan councilor Felimon Georsua complained why the contract to supply steel materials worth P1,190,037.50 for the new municipal building went to the Diamond Interior Industries Corp. when it did not undergo a bidding process.

Also suspended were the town’s civil registrar Pepito Manguilimotan, budget officer Nonela Villegas, agricultural officer Marilyn Flordeliza, municipal assessor John Lim, municipal engineer Orven

Nengasca and utility worker Gertrudes Ababon.

All impleaded in the case posted a cash bond of P30,000 each.